The ilium is the biggest and highest bone of the three bones that join to form the pelvis. You can feel the broad part of your hip bone, which flares out, when you place your hands around your waist. Your ilium joins with the sacrum at the SI joint, which helps support the weight and power that moves between the legs and upper body.
Since the ilium carries body weight, it can easily be injured or hurt whenever you attempt to lift, twist, or stand for a long time.
Main Reasons Behind Ilium Bone Pain
1. Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction
This condition involves a problem in your sacroiliac joint.
Sometimes, you feel pain near the ilium because of sacroiliac joint dysfunction. If the joint between the spine and ilium is not in the correct position or becomes inflamed, you may feel discomfort that goes to the lower back, buttocks, or legs.
2.Damage to the Pelvic Bone
Dealing a strike to the pelvic region, either from falling, being involved in a car accident, or sports, can lead to an ilium fracture. Stress fractures also happen gradually, and they are more common in runners and athletes who routinely do high-impact activities.
3. Of Muscles And Muscular Imbalance
When repetitive movements or poor biomechanics are involved, the ilium’s connecting muscles, such as the gluteal muscles, iliacus, and tensor fasciae latae, can easily be strained. The discomfort or inflammation in the bony area may be caused by this muscle fatigue or unbalance.
4. Pregnancy
Changes in hormones during pregnancy cause the ligaments at the pelvis to become looser. Because of the movement in the SI joint and baby weight on the parent, ilium-related pain is more likely to happen during pregnancy.
5. Arthritis
When people suffer from osteoarthritis or ankylosing spondylitis, inflammation and degeneration of the SI joint may cause pain in the ilium. This sharp pain is often observed in the lower back, abdomen, groin, or hip areas of the body. Precisely pointing, the sacroiliac joint that links the spine and ilium is a very common source of pain.
Symptoms That You Need to Notice
The discomfort of ilium bone pain is often not exactly a square, sharp pain in one area. Frequently, the pain shows itself as:
- It may cause the feeling to spread to your lower back or buttocks.
- Cause pain when you remain seated, standing or walking up and down stairs for long periods.
- Experience a kind of numb or rigid soreness
- Have the hip or lower back area become bigger or more painful
Pain that occurs from a bad break or major inflammation may be very sharp and increased when you walk or attempt to apply pressure.
Diagnosis Of Ilium Bone Pain
Generally, a full physical exam comes first in making an accurate diagnosis. They may observe your posture, your way of walking and the freedom you have in moving your joints. You could also be told to make certain movements that will cause your pain.
Choosing the proper diagnostic tools depends on the possible cause of the concern.
- Fractures or deterioration of joints are checked with X-ray images.
- An MRI or CT scan, so physicians can view soft tissues and the bone structure in detail
- Bone scans may be done if there are reasons to suspect stress fractures or infections.
Treatment Options
Since each condition is different, doctors use various treatments for ilium bone pain, but the main aim is always to ease pain, fight inflammation, and improve movement.
1. Making Changes in Resting and Moving
It is important to start by giving your body enough time to work on healing.’ Staying away from activities that impact the pelvis, for example, running, lifting, and standing for a long time, matters a lot.
2. Physical Therapy
Developing a unique plan with a physical therapist can make you more flexible, build up your muscles, and improve your posture or movement. Most exercises are designed to train the core, glutes, and hip flexors.
3. Pain Management
If you have pain, you can use over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen or naproxen. Some doctors might recommend injecting corticosteroids into the SI joint to treat the pain for a longer time.
4. Treatments With Heat And Cold
You can use heat to relax stiff muscles, and applying a cold pack can help reduce inflammation from physical activity. Breaking down precisely, heat therapy eases pain through an increase in blood flow to the areas of pain and affected. On the contrary, cold therapy has a different way of working. Coldness constricts blood vessels, reducing blood flow and inflammation. A composed treatment of both heat and cold helps boost the effectiveness massively!
5. Assistive Devices
For instability or a broken bone, relief can be found with a pelvic belt or crutches for a while to lighten pressure in your ilium. Such devices are built to soothe the pain temporarily. This isn’t a foolproof way to eliminate Ilium pain forever, but it is rather a method when the severity of pain is to be managed in the absence of other treatment forms.
When Should You Visit The Doctor?
For chronic pain that affects your routines, along with numbness, fever, or serious weakness, see medical help immediately. When you ignore ilium bone pain, you might develop tension injuries in the spine or knees.
Long Term’s Outlook And Prevention Methods
Most people find that treating ilium bone pain with conservative treatment helps. Yet, to prevent it from happening once more, people may need to make lifestyle changes.
- Keeping your weight healthy
- Maintaining proper posture when you go about your day
- Regularly doing stretching and strengthening activities
- Applying proper methods when exercising or lifting
Conclusion
Sometimes, pain in the ilium bone is hard to notice, but it’s still something to know about. Regardless of your activity level, seeing early signs of discomfort and taking care of them the right way can avoid future pain. When you’re uncertain, it’s wise to ask a doctor for help, especially because early treatment matters a lot. We hope you are now aware of everything about Ilium bone pain.
