title: Treatment of the sacroiliac joint in patients with leg pain: a randomized-controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The sacroiliac joint (SIJ) may be a cause of sciatica. The aim of this study was to assess which treatment is successful for SIJ-related back and leg pain.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using a single-blinded randomised trial, we assessed the short-term therapeutic efficacy of physiotherapy, manual therapy, and intra-articular injection with local corticosteroids in the SIJ in 51 patients with SIJ-related leg pain. The effect of the treatment was evaluated after 6 and 12 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 51 patients, 25 (56 %) were successfully treated. Physiotherapy was successful in 3 out of 15 patients (20 %), manual therapy in 13 of the 18 (72 %), and intra-articular injection in 9 of 18 (50 %) patients (p = 0.01). Manual therapy had a significantly better success rate than physiotherapy (p = 0.003).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this small single-blinded prospective study, manual therapy appeared to be the choice of treatment for patients with SIJ-related leg pain. A second choice of treatment to be considered is an intra-articular injection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, St. Elisabeth Hospital, PO Box 90151, 5000 LC, Tilburg, The Netherlands, l.visser@elisabeth.nl.
authors.forename: L H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Visser
authors.forename: N P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Woudenberg
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: de Bont
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: van Eijs
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Verwer
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jenniskens
authors.forename: B L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Den Oudsten
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018771:Arthralgia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D001416:Back Pain / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007270:Injections, Intra-Articular; D007866:Leg; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D026201:Musculoskeletal Manipulations / Q000379:methods*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012446:Sacroiliac Joint / Q000187:drug effects*; D012585:Sciatica / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones