Sacroiliac Joint
The sacroiliac joint, often referred to as the SI joint, connects your pelvis to the lowest part of your spine and transfers forces between the upper and lower body. This joint is surrounded by a network of strong ligaments and soft tissues that can become irritated due to too much or even too little movement due to trauma and other accidents or even pregnancy. This irritation can cause pain leading to pelvic pain or stiffness that may spread to the buttocks, lower back, or even extend down the legs.
The source of the pain can be difficult to diagnose as it is often mistaken for other causes of lower back pain. Sacroiliac joint pain can be diagnosed through a combination of discussing medical history and symptoms, completing a thorough physical examination including specific movement tests, reviewing imaging, and performing diagnostic injections.
Initial treatment for sacroiliac joint pain often includes rest, ice/heat, medications, physical therapy, support braces, manual manipulation such as osteopathic or chiropractic care, and/or joint injections.
Previously, traditional orthopedic care didn’t appreciate that the SI joint has movement, so surgery wasn’t an option. A fusion procedure was developed, and now that is a common recommendation for SI joint pain that does not improve with conservative treatments. This procedure eliminates movement at the joint with implanted screws and bone grafts. Unfortunately, surgery doesn’t always alleviate pain. The resulting restricted movement at the SI joint puts extra stress at the joints above and below the fusion (hips and lumbar spine), which often leads to additional problems at these areas, which could result in further surgery recommendations.
For patients with sacroiliac joint pain, we offer regenerative treatments including PRP and bone marrow stem cells, which can help heal the injured ligaments and soft tissues and reduce pain coming from this joint. We customize concentrations of healing growth factors, proteins, and cells found naturally within your body and inject them into the damaged tissue under image guidance. This stimulates your body’s natural healing response, allowing you to recover naturally without the need for surgery, with minimal downtime, and no concern for future damage to adjacent areas.
Three Steps From First Call to a Treatment Plan You Can Act On
Step 1 — Check Your Eligibility
Send us your imaging and tell us what is going on. We review your radiology at no cost and tell you honestly whether an image-guided, non-surgical approach is worth exploring for your condition.
Step 2 — Schedule Your Consultation
A full evaluation with advanced ultrasound and MRI review. Regenexx consultations average a full hour: complete history, hands-on examination, imaging review and a real diagnosis explained in plain language.
Step 3 — Start Your Healing Plan
If you are a candidate, your physician builds a personalized plan around your diagnosis: Regenexx bone marrow concentrate or platelet procedures, supported by therapies such as prolotherapy and MLS laser, with follow-up at six to eight weeks.
Other spine conditions we treat
The treatments behind these procedures
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01
Regenexx procedures — bone marrow concentrate and advanced platelet procedures, placed under image guidance.
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02
Platelet Rich Plasma — concentrated platelets from your own blood, for tendon and ligament damage and mild arthritis.
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03
Prolotherapy — for ligament laxity and joint instability.
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04
MLS Laser Therapy — non-invasive pain and inflammation control, often alongside the above.
Which one fits your case is decided at the evaluation, from your imaging and the tissue involved — not from a web page.
Find out whether we can treat your sacroiliac joint
Send your imaging ahead
If you already have an MRI or X-ray, upload it before your visit and Dr. Derrington will review it in advance.
Two offices
Carlsbad and Laguna Hills, serving San Diego and Orange County.
Or call us directly at (760) 721-4000 - Carlsbad Office or (760) 721-4000 - Laguna Hills Office
Ready to Find Out If a Non-Surgical Approach Could Work for You?
Call us to schedule an in-office or telehealth appointment, or fill out the form and our team will reach out. We will ask about your condition, explain which options may apply, and tell you honestly whether an evaluation makes sense.
If we are not the right fit for your condition, we will tell you — and try to point you in the right direction.
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