Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction and Regenerative Medicine
Treatments By body area Knee & joints Spine, neck & back Hip Shoulder By condition Autoimmune & inflammatory Neurological Diabetes Anti-aging & vitality Every treatment uses the same Passage 3 protocol. View all treatments How it works Your journey Testimonials Pricing About The center The company The stem cells Facilities People & place Dr. Diana Reyes The team About Medellín ENES Book your consultation Message us Treatments + By body area Knee & joints Spine, neck & back Hip Shoulder By condition Autoimmune & inflammatory Neurological Diabetes Anti-aging & vitality View all treatments → How it works Your journey Testimonials Pricing About + The company The stem cells Dr. Diana Reyes The team Facilities About Medellín ENES Book your consultation Message us on WhatsApp Blog · Spine science Spine science Sacroiliac joint pain: the back pain that isn’t in your spine Pain low in the back, near the dimple of your hip, may come from the sacroiliac joint. What it is, how it is treated, and where stem cells fit. 6 min readReviewed with the medical team of Stem Cells Colombia The 30-second version The sacroiliac joint links your spine to your pelvis, and it can cause pain that feels like back pain. It is often missed, because its pain overlaps with disc, hip and nerve problems. The doctors treat both SI joints with stem cells in one day, guided by fluoroscopy in the operating room. You point to the pain and it’s not quite your back and not quite your hip. It’s that spot just beside the dimple above your buttock, and it gets louder when you climb stairs, roll over in bed or stand on one leg to put on your pants. That spot may be your sacroiliac joint, or SI joint. It is one of the most overlooked sources of low back pain, partly because it is so good at impersonating everything around it. What is the sacroiliac joint, and why does it hurt? You have two SI joints, one on each side, where the base of your spine (the sacrum) meets your pelvis. They don’t move much, but they carry the full load between your upper body and your legs every time you walk. Think of them as the hinges on a heavy barn door. They barely swing, but if one gets worn, loose or inflamed, you feel it with every push. Common triggers include a fall, years of repetitive strain, pregnancy, a difference in leg length, arthritis, and a previous spinal fusion that shifts extra stress onto the pelvis. In plain wordsSacrum the triangular bone at the bottom of your spine, wedged between the two sides of your pelvis. Why is it so often missed? SI joint pain overlaps with pain from a disc, a facet joint, the hip, or a pinched nerve. There is no single scan that shows “this is the one.” Doctors usually combine a careful exam with specific movement tests. The most reliable confirmation is a diagnostic block: a little numbing medicine placed into the joint under imaging. If the pain fades for a few hours, the SI joint is the likely culprit. Tip Before any treatment, ask how your doctor confirmed the pain comes from the SI joint. It is the most useful question on this list. What are the usual treatments? Physical therapy to strengthen the muscles that stabilize the pelvis. Anti-inflammatory medication for flare-ups. Steroid injections into the joint, guided by imaging. Radiofrequency ablation, which quiets the small nerves that carry the pain signal. Fusion surgery, usually reserved for cases where nothing else has worked. The first four can help a lot, and when their effect fades, fusion is a permanent step. That gap is where people start asking about regenerative options. Where could stem cells fit? Mesenchymal stem cells, or MSCs, work mainly as messengers. Placed in and around an inflamed joint, they release signals that may calm inflammation and support the joint’s cartilage and ligaments. For the SI joint, that means placing cells into the joint, and sometimes into the ligaments around it, under imaging guidance. It is what the doctors do in Medellín, under fluoroscopy, the same way they treat the spine. The goal is to improve the joint’s environment, not to lock it in place. MythIf an injection didn’t work, nothing will. Reality: Sometimes the injection was fine and the target was wrong. Confirming the pain source comes first. What does the evidence say? The research is growing and promising. A 2025 systematic review of PRP and stem cell injections into the SI joint included two randomized trials and three observational studies, and described the emerging clinical evidence as promising. Another 2025 review of SI joint treatments, covering 38 clinical studies, describes fluoroscopy-guided injections as the way to deliver steroids or mesenchymal stem cells directly into the joint, and points to regenerative medicine as one of the new therapies to explore. Every body responds at its own pace, which is why your follow-up tracks your progress with you. What this means for you If your pain sits beside the dimple above your buttock, ask whether the SI joint has been checked. Ask for the pain source to be confirmed, ideally with a diagnostic block, before any treatment. Send your imaging on WhatsApp for a free evaluation of both SI joints, with your plan and price in writing and no commitment. Where the evidence stands Lab & animal studiesFirst human studiesSeveral clinical trialsStandard of care The anatomy and mechanics of the SI joint are well described, and inflammation and ligament strain are recognized contributors to pain. Stem cell and PRP injections into the SI joint have been studied in randomized trials and observational studies, and a 2025 systematic review described the emerging evidence as promising. Research on MSCs in other joints supports the rationale, and larger SI-joint trials will help define who benefits most. The sacroiliac joint: an overview of its anatomy, function and potential clinical implications · Journal of Anatomy, 2012 A systematic review