What is Sacrospinous Ligament?
Sacrospinous ligaments are two tendons that connect your spine to your pelvis. They protect the spinal cord from injury when you fall down or get injured while walking around. If these ligaments become damaged, it may cause symptoms such as numbness or tingling in one’s extremities (or even paralysis).
The sacrospinal ligaments are located between the top of your skull and the back of your neck. These ligaments attach to the vertebrae that make up your spine. When they become damaged, it causes pain in different parts of the body:
Injury to the sacrum (back bone) can result in severe pain due to nerve damage or even death if not treated immediately.
Injury to the sacrum can lead to lower back pain.
Injury to the sacrum can cause problems with breathing and swallowing.
Injury to the sacrum can result in difficulty standing or sitting upright.
Injuries to either of these ligaments may result in other injuries such as fractures, internal bleeding, infection, and even death.
When one or both of these ligaments become excessively stretched or torn, it can cause the body to lose its ability to maintain balance and equilibrium. The body may also lose its ability to regulate temperature.
These ligaments are prone to injury when an individual sustains a fall or blow to the back of his torso. These injuries usually occur in contact sports such as football and rugby. Automobile accidents and falls are also common causes of injury to the body’s sacrospinal ligaments.
These types of injuries can also be caused by certain types of medical procedures.
If you suspect that you have suffered a serious injury to either of these ligaments, seek medical attention immediately. Be sure to see a qualified physician who can provide you with proper diagnosis and treatment. Most importantly, do not try to “walk it off” or attempt to treat the condition yourself.
Sacrospinal ligament pain can be treated with rest, medication, or in severe cases, surgery. It is important to not strain or over-exert the muscles in your back and abdomen while treating this type of injury. If you suspect that you have suffered this type of injury, do not attempt to lift heavy objects or perform demanding physical tasks.
You should also avoid sports or other physical activities that could potentially aggravate your condition. If the ligament tears are moderate to severe, surgery may be required to repair the affected tendons.
Sacroiliac Ligament
The sacroiliac ligament is a band of tissue that connects the two halves of the pelvis together through the bone of the sacrum. The sacroiliac joint is a “gliding” type of joint that allows slight movement between the two bones. This allows the body to adjust for uneven weight distribution when standing or sitting.
It also allows the body to bend at the waist.
The iliac part of these ligaments refers to the ilium, which are the two large bones that make up the upper part of your pelvis. This is also known as the “hip bone.”
The sacroiliac ligament attaches to the base of the spine, and then fans out to connect with the top of the two hip bones. These bands of tissue help to hold the pelvis together. The ilium is joined to the sacrum at the joint known as the sacroiliac (SI) joint.
These ligaments are most commonly injured during a fall or accident. This may cause damage to the top part of the pelvis, including the bone or the joint itself. This may also occur during some types of medical procedures, particularly cesarean sections.
If you suspect that you may have injured this type of ligament, it is important that you seek immediate medical attention. These injuries usually cause severe pain and may result in difficulty walking and sitting down. These types of injuries are often diagnosed with an X-ray or MRI.
Injury to the sacroiliac ligament can be caused by direct trauma, but more commonly they occur as a result of other types of injuries, such as to the back, hip, or pelvis. This type of ligament injury causes pain in the lower back that may spread into the buttocks and down the leg. In some cases, the pain may become intense during sitting and relieved by standing or leaning forward.
Swelling and bruising are common with this type of injury and pain is often made worse by direct pressure, such as with a firm pillow. Pain is typically made better by lying down.
Common causes of injury to the sacroiliac joint include falls, motor vehicle accidents, and child birth. The most common cause of these injuries is a fall on the buttocks or hip. These types of falls may cause the ligaments surrounding the joint to become stretched or torn.
This causes irritation of the joint and pain may spread into the back of the thigh and into the groin area.
If you suspect you have injured this type of ligament, it is important that you seek medical attention right away. Delaying treatment can make your symptoms worse and may lead to permanent damage.
Strengthening the supporting muscles in and around your pelvis, hips, and lower back may help to relieve some of the symptoms caused by this condition. Your physician may also recommend that you perform pelvic tilts and hip stretches to help strengthen the area.
As with most other types of soft tissue injuries, rest is very important when treating a sprained or torn sacroiliac ligament. Avoid sitting for long periods of time and try to alternate periods of sitting with periods of standing or walking.
Your physician may suggest that you apply ice or take over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs to help control the pain and swelling. He may also recommend that you apply heat to the painful area to help relax the muscles. Your physician may also recommend that you perform a series of stretches and exercises to help strengthen the muscles in your lower back, hips, and legs.
Torn or sprained sacroiliac ligaments are very common, particularly in women during pregnancy or after giving birth. They are also very common in individuals who engage in activities that involve falling onto the bottom, such as skiing.
Overusing the muscles in your lower back, hips, and legs can also cause this condition. This may occur while participating in sports or other repetitive motions such as climbing stairs or sitting for long periods of time on a daily basis.
Other common causes of this condition include spinal arthritis, bone tumors, and infections in the vertebrae.
The sacroiliac (SI) joint is an anatomical junction of the pelvis and the lower back, which consists of a front-to-back pair of bones known as the sacrum and the ileum. There are no muscles or tendons here; just a strong, flexible ligament on each side that connects the two bones. The ileum bone is shaped like an “I” while the sacrum is shaped more like a “C” or a “W”.
The two bones join at the base of the “I” to form the pelvic basin.
The sacroiliac joint has multiple roles, but serves as a major load-bearing segment for the body. It also allows movement between the pelvis and the lower back.
While many people suffer from sacroiliac pain at some point in their life, most find relief through rest and medication. However, some cases are severe enough that surgery may be needed.
Sacroiliac ligament injuries are common in people involved in contact sports and those who frequently fall on the buttock, such as in skiing.
The areas which are most commonly injured are at the back of the sacrum and along the side of the ilium.
Ligament sprains can occur when a force is applied to an area that causes the ligament to stretch or tear.
The most common sites for sprains are the ankles, knees, and the SI joints.
A physical examination may be recommended during an SI injury to determine whether there have been fractures or dislocations in the pelvis or lower back.
In many cases, an X-ray may be taken to rule out other causes such as bone tumors or arthritis.
Tests that check the nerves in the lower body may also be carried out to check for peripheral neuropathies and radiculopathies, which is damage to a nerve or group of nerves outside the spinal cord.
The physical therapist examines the patient’s posture, flexibility, muscle strength and sensory perception.
Treatment may include applying heat or cold to the painful area and stretching exercises.
In some cases, muscle relaxants, pain medication or physical therapy is all that is needed to relieve the pain.
If the condition doesn’t improve, surgery may be considered.
To treat an acute injury, one should rest, apply ice, take NSAIDs and see a doctor if the pain persists.
For chronic conditions, physical therapy is useful.
Steroid injections can also be given to provide relief from pain and inflammation.
The patient should avoid heavy lifting and other strenuous physical activities that put extra pressure on the pelvis or lower back.
A person experiencing back pain stemming from the pelvis should also avoid sitting for long periods of time and make an effort to walk around during breaks.
Additional ways to prevent or minimize pain are to maintain a healthy weight, do abdominal exercises and stretch hip flexors.
These exercises can help strengthen the muscles in the lower back and pelvis.
Some causes of sacroiliac pain may be permanent and cause long-term or recurrent pain.
Other causes may be temporary and pain will typically subside as the cause is addressed.
Sudden onset of pain in the sacroiliac region may be the result of an injury such as a fall, while some causes may develop over time due to repetitive motions or straining the lower back.
A fall or incident that causes the back or pelvis to twist can be a cause of sacroiliac pain.
This can cause one of more of the ligaments that connect the sacrum and ilium to tear or stretch and become inflamed.
The most common cause of sacroiliac pain is an injury to the ligaments connecting the pelvis to the legs.
These injuries may be caused by a fall on the buttock, improper lifting techniques or repetitive motions that put unnatural stress on the joint.
Other causes of sacroiliac pain may include arthritis, pregnancy (for women), an infection or tumor, or an abnormality in the shape of the bones of the pelvis or spine.
The pain that occurs as a result of the sacroiliac joint dysfunction is typically felt in the lower back, in the buttocks around the area below the waist and in the top or side of the legs.
Pain can also be felt in the groin or upper thighs and is typically made worse by sitting or certain types of movement that involve twisting or bending.
The pain can also be made worse by sudden impact such as jumping or falling.
Additionally, the pain may be felt in one side of the pelvis or back only and may travel down the back of the thigh and into the back of the leg.
Pain from this condition is typically worsened by sitting or standing for long periods and can be temporarily alleviated by lying down.
The typical patient experiencing pain caused by sacroiliac joint dysfunction is a person between the ages of 20 and 50 who participates in some sort of physical activity or work that requires lifting, repetitive bending or twisting.
It is more common in women than men due to differences in hip structure.
More specifically, it is three times more likely to occur in women than men.
However, there have been no reports of the condition occurring in children.
There are three main causes of sacroiliac joint dysfunction:
Sometimes, more than one cause can apply to an individual.
The most common form of treatment for sacroiliac joint dysfunction is rest, however, this is typically only recommended in the first few days following the initial injury.
Once the pain has begun to resolve, physical therapy may be suggested to strengthen the supporting muscles and stretching those that are flexed and shortened.
Establishing good habits, such as proper lifting techniques and ergonomics at work, can also help prevent the condition from recurring.
Additionally, a physician may prescribe analgesics to alleviate pain while the injury heals.
The sacroiliac joint is a very resilient joint that allows a great range of motion.
It is also stabilized by strong ligaments that enable the pelvis to withstand the twisting forces it frequently endures.
However, if these strong ligaments become stretched and are no longer able to effectively stabilize the joint, pain can result.
This stretching of the ligaments can be caused by an injury such as a fall or a twisting force to the area, such as during childbirth, or by a combination of factors over time.
It is common for patients with sacroiliac joint dysfunction to have other contributing factors that can make the condition worse or more difficult to treat.
These factors can include leg length discrepancy, hip misalignment, spine curvature, flat feet, obesity and muscle imbalances.
Sources & references used in this article:
Sacrospinous ligament fixation for eversion of the vagina by GW Morley, JOL DeLancey – American journal of obstetrics and …, 1988 – Elsevier
Anatomical study of the pudendal nerve adjacent to the sacrospinous ligament by P Mahakkanukrauh, P Surin… – Clinical Anatomy: The …, 2005 – Wiley Online Library
Recurrent pelvic support defects after sacrospinous ligament fixation for vaginal vault prolapse. by RL Holley, RE Varner, BP Gleason… – Journal of the …, 1995 – ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
