Ankloysing Spondylitis OR Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction

Bigger Stronger Leaner Injuries and Rehab
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Hey all, bit worried here, but would like some opinions as i can’t take this off of my mind. I have been having pains for a while and the above 2 conditions i have some symptoms.

Firstly my low back pain im sure is originating from my pelvis, the 2 balls at the base of the spine, part of the sacroiliac joint. I first noticed the pain last October when i was working with my dad. I had just came back from a 3 week holiday, so sitting around, doing nothing, into a month of physical work. To get to some of the areas i was kneeling down and doing a bit of leaning forward, then i started to discover a sharp pain in low back, at the base of the spine, which is my sacroiliac joint i believe, and has caused me some pretty bad low back pain.

I was told it’s just where i wasn’t used to the work and that id soon adjust, i kept working, but the pain didn’t get any better. I still have it now, but i have a lot of problems, such as;
Ankle pain - Has only started happening the past few days, i woke up one morning because of my low back pain and decided to go for a walk to ease the pain, however after 20mins my ankles were killing me, and i had to take my shoes off and rest before heading back.

My knees have been hurting for a good couple of years, mostly a tendon that connects to the back of the knee, a hamstring tendon or abductor tendon i believe the pain is coming from.

And the last few months i have had bad neck/cervical spine pain, pretty unbearable at times, however when i saw a physio in the past, she said she feels the pain and problems are more muscular and that my posture wasn’t that greatest, although it’s nothing too abnormal from the rest of the world in my eyes.

Also some shoulder aches during certain activities, overhead pressing, dips, running, skipping/jump rope, day to day activities like using a hammer, but working on my mid/low traps as they are undeveloped, should help some of the problems.

Now i just did some physical work with my dad to concrete a shed floor, it was all going fine, now that we have stopped, my knees were hurting, after i had a shower, my ankles started to kill me again, not that i was walking much at all really, and now i can feel the pain starting to ache in my elbows, a lot of it could be in my head, but i feel i have so many different problems and im really scared and worried of potential AS. Im 19 years old.

To my knowledge, my family hasn’t had AS, so probably not the HLA-B27 Gene, but i don’t think you have to have it in order to have AS, it just increases the chance.

So yeah you can see im pretty worried and i can’t stop thinking about it, im really hoping it just the SIJD and some physical therapy could sort the problem within a few months. Although some of the symptoms are starting to worry me.

BBB - I tried to pm you about it as i know you answered a few threads on AS, but the message didn’t say it was sent.

If anyone could give me some information i would greatly appreciate it.

I have yesterday had a cervical spine x-ray, which looked fine from the back but side view, the top of the spine curve looked a bit exaggerated, also had about 7 blood tests and awaiting an MRI for my back, should i ask to be referred to physiotherapy to look for Sacroiliac Joint dysfunction?

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Wow that sounds great, really kind of you, unfortunately, im in Essex, and according to a calculator, 130 miles from Nottingham :(.

I haven’t been working out, i mean i have, but not the past week or so, i was doing running but stopped because of the ankle issues. Was doing DL’s, bench, barbell rows, trying to keep strength up, but i only seem to be aggravating the problems further and it’s really been months since ive been able to follow a real routine.

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I understand, and it really is nice of you to offer such a good offer, i will definitely think about it, about the post, does it sound like i have either of those above? Most worried about the AS to be completely honest. Still having some blood tests and all, once more possibilities are ruled out, I’ll probably be more geared towards getting my problem looked at, and possibility coming to you if that’s alright.

Cheers again.

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Hey BBB, sorry to come back to this thread, i just have no other way of contacting you, i have tried to send a few PM’s but i know you said that they don’t work so that’s probably why i haven’t managed to get through to you.

Im really desperate right now and would love it if this offer would still be avaliable by any chance? I just wanted to see because Ive ran out of options and am tired of having countless x-rays and MRI’s and not being able to do any sort of lifting/running/fitness or even get back to work, all of which i have been off for months and it’s really affecting my life. Especially at my age i feel i am wasting it and should be doing more, which im unable to.

With that set aside, im going to type out exactly what I know, and what i can’t seem to get help with, how they may tie intogether, all these problems;

Cervical spine/Shoulder and Elbow pain. I am awaiting an appointment at an orthopaedic clinic in london for middle of October, i have been waiting a couple months for this already, i don’t have much hope though as I’ll probably just see another physio who will say “it’s muscular pain”. I have had 2 clear x-rays on my cervical spine, so that seems fine. Shoulders seem to hurt and are tired during anything, when i tried brushing my hair this morning for instance it just felt so fatigued and weak.

Inner elbows along bicep tendons hurt if i were to carry my 5yr old brother or as another example, give my young cousin a “piggyback”.

Sacroiliac Joint pain - I have just had an appointment again with a physiotherapist and im not going back there no more. I am just through with her help. I have had an MRI to rule out other causes, only thing was that i have reduced normal lumbar lordois. Although they say no significant abnormalities. The physio today gave me “stretches” to do again, which i am already doing and i just said, Ive been doing these stretches for months, the problem isn’t getting any better, is there any chance you can do some mobilisation on that area…

Doesn’t want to know, “im not going to manipulate your back, there’s too many risks, i think it’s more muscular and postural, if you want to see a chiropractor or go to your gp that could be another option”. It’s pretty much a cop out and she doesn’t want to do anything, it’s easy to say, just do these stretches.

Ive had this pain for a year, it’s not going away, i have done countless stretching, soft tissue work, mobility drills, you name it, i really think this needs to be dealt with “hands on”. She has said a couple of times the pain is in the lumbar region, not SI joint, but i know there is pain in the SI joint, just because i don’t have buttock pain. She made me lie on the floor, on my belly, raise 1 leg up at a time, this aggrivated my SI joint pain. Still, nothing.

Knee pain - Both knees, although the right is much worse, in terms of i can’t fully straighten it or flex the knee. Really confident the problem is in the pes anserinus muscle group as that is where the inflammation is and the pain is felt. Possibility bursitis, i have an MRI on it in a couple of weeks so we’ll see.

Even when she told me to go on the exercise bike for 5mins, i told her my knee is hurting which is why im unable to do it, and she said it’s muscular. It’s not, i refused to carry on and hurt myself, i can feel it’s the tendons hurting, not muscle, she makes it sound as though im some unfit slob, i was really active until months ago when i decided to not do nothing, but what’s the use, not getting any better.

What is left to try?

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Great, good to know, thanks. I’m sure you will be of help, even the “physio” said about seeing a chiropractor (isn’t that what you do?), i just don’t understand why she isn’t prepared to help, and im literally going to be waiting around for more months on end if i go back to the docs for another referral, just need some positive feedback rather than what Ive been having from the physio - do these stretches and come back in 3 weeks, even though Ive already told her Ive been doing them.

How should i leave things with you? Haven’t decided whether to come by train or car yet, think the train may be quite expensive, either way I’ll probably receive a payment by the weekend so i should have enough to get to you in the near future if possible? Im hoping to hear positive news from the MRI scan on my right knee in a couple of weeks, im sure it’ll be something along the lines of pes anserinus bursitis, which mostly leaves the pain around SIJ and shoulders/neck/elbows ;( Never is simple lol.

Thanks again, really appreciate it.

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Brilliant, sounds great, I’ll check out how much it’ll cost me by train and see if it’s worth doing or by going by car. Although i share a car so it may be awkward and i might be better off getting the train as it could take about 3hours driving.

Would it be just Nottingham station? I’ll try to get prices by tomorrow to see about using that route.

With the email address, could i just get sent a message on here? And then i can contact you via email if that’s cool.

I find these problems a mystery, just was out with a family member, who doesn’t know much about anatomy or anything like that as much as the next person, and when you try to explain that you haven’t been working out because pains everywhere and all, it makes me feel like, not really a sissy, but sort of like there’s always something wrong with me. I don’t like that assumption. The other thing is, i have this MRI on the 13th of october, on the 19th i have an appointment at an orthopaedic clinic up london, what do you think of this? Would i be best coming to you before hand (if you can fit it in), or after the appointment?

Thanks again, really appreciate the help as i really am desperate to find the answers to these daily struggles and getting back to work and just training in general.

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No problem. I’ll make a 7 day food diary that week then as that will make sense as it’ll be closer to the meeting date. As of now, should i just leave things until the 19th of October, after Ive had the appointment? Should i post back in this thread, or by email?

Thx again.