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The Daily Insight

What does sacroiliac pain feel like?

Author

David Jones

Updated on April 02, 2026

You may experience sacroiliac (SI) joint pain as a sharp, stabbing pain that radiates from your hips and pelvis, up to the lower back, and down to the thighs. Sometimes it may feel numb or tingly, or as if your legs are about to buckle.

Where do you feel sacroiliac joint pain?

Sacroiliac joint pain can be difficult to diagnose as other conditions can cause similar symptoms. Sacroiliac joint pain is most commonly felt in the low back and buttock but can also be referred into the thigh and leg. If numbness and tingling or weakness is present, an alternative diagnosis should be considered.

What causes pain in the sacroiliac joint?

The SI joint can become painful when the ligaments become too loose or too tight. This can occur as the result of a fall, work injury, car accident, pregnancy and childbirth, or hip/spine surgery (laminectomy, lumbar fusion). Sacroiliac joint pain can occur when movement in the pelvis is not the same on both sides.

How do you treat sacroiliac joint pain?

Use Over-the-Counter Relief Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen or naproxen can ease SI pain. These meds reduce swelling, too, so your doctor may ask you to keep taking them even after you start to feel better to make sure you heal completely.

How do you treat sacroiliac joint pain naturally?

Modifying or avoiding the activities that worsen your pain might help reduce the inflammation in your sacroiliac joints. Proper posture is important. Ice and heat. Alternating ice and heat might help relieve sacroiliac pain.

Can SI joint heal itself?

SI joint pain varies from mild to debilitating, depending on what has led to it. Intense pain can flare up without warning, but the good news is that often the affected joint heals itself within a week or so. It can also last for more than three months, in which case it is considered chronic.

Is walking bad for SI joint pain?

Exercise walking is gentler on the sacroiliac joint than running or jogging, and has the added benefit of being easy to fit in to a regular schedule.

Can SI joint dysfunction be cured?

Is SI joint dysfunction permanent? Normally, patients see relief with the non-operative treatments above. However, if patients get unsustained (less than three months) but great relief from SI joint injections, they may be a candidate for a procedure called SI joint ablation, according to Dr. Jasper.

What is the SI joint and what does it do?

Take charge with a treatment plan that brings relief. What Is the SI Joint? Its full name is the sacroiliac joint. There are two of them in your lower back, and they sit on each side of your spine. Their main job is to carry the weight of your upper body when you stand or walk and shift that load to your legs. What Does the Pain Feel Like?

Can the sacroiliac joint (SIJ) cause back pain?

The legs act like long levers and without the sacroiliac joints and the pubic symphysis (at the front of the pelvis) which allow these small movements, the pelvis would be at higher risk of a fracture. The concept of the SIJ causing lower back pain is now pretty well understood.

What does it feel like to have SI joint pain?

It could be a dull or sharp. It starts at your SI joint, but it can move to your buttocks, thighs, groin, or upper back. Sometimes standing up triggers the pain, and a lot of times you feel it only on one side of your lower back.

What are the sacroiliac joints?

The sacroiliac joints are the joints where the lower part of the spine (sacrum) connects to the pelvis. There are two sacroiliac joints, one on each side, with ligaments in each joint that hold the bones together.