sacroiliac joint - HELP!!!!!!!!

[HarwoodFarm]

PLEASE HELP!!!
I'd love to here from anyone that has had an injury in the sacrolliac joint, I am currently working my horse through a re-hab programme after having his Sacroilliac Joint injected with Steroid, I was wondering if anyone out there had been through the same process with a horse and if they cam out the other end as fit and as strong, or weather there was always a weakness there??? My horse is only 4yo and I was hoping he was going to be my horse for life, but if he is always going to have a weakness once he is right then I am worried I wont be able to do as I have planned with him, I'll be interested to here anyone else's story's on problems with this joint, as its such a hard area to look at.
Thanks everyone.

 

[robthecob]

Hello and breathe

Firstly what damage to the sacroilliac do u have and do you know how your horse sustained the injury?

I have an 8 year old mare who 2 years ago went to new market and was diagnosed with arthritic changes to the sacroilliac joint and also suspensory inflammation on 3 legs.

She is currently sound although I don't jump for risk of breaking her, I don't know if she would or not but I am not that interested in jumping anyway so we stick to dressage.

The trick I have found is staying in regular correct work, regular chiro visits, also lunging over raised poles seems to help stabilise the joint. I also feed a devils claw suppliment to help any with stiffness.

How does your mare look at the moment is she muscled well? X

 

[JanetGeorge]

I'm now towards the end of re-habbing a 5 year old mare who we THINK injured her SI as a 2 year old (she was slightly lame at that time but lost a shed-load of weight!) When we backed her she appeared sound - but as work progressed she just didn't improve in terms of coming through!

Vets put it down to SI - and recommended a very good Physiotherapist. He confirmed - and sent her back to the vets for U/S guided steroid injections into back and SI joint before starting her physio. The big problem with these injuries is the muscle contraction that follows the pain and loss of use.

She now looks 95% 'right' - still has a little less muscling on the one side and a littlemore trouble in properly engaging that hind (after 9 months of rehab.) She's headed for an eventing career - but we plan to delay proper jumping (she's doing x-poles and raised trotting poles only) for at least anoher 6 months.
Physio thinks she will be at LEAST as good at the end of it! Time will tell.

 

[HarwoodFarm]

THANK YOU!! Its nice to know there is hope your there.

We dont know what damage he has done and we are having the Physio out every 2 weeks at the moment. We think he fell over out in the field but we cant be sure. He looks well in himself but as you say when it gets to the stage when I can start proper work Im going to be scared to jump him or push him too far incase of injury or weakness in that area. Its just nice to know other people out there have had similar injury and are still working there horses. I was hoping to event him so if anyone knows of any out there that have had a sacroilliac injury that would make my day, lol.

 

[foxy]

My horse was treated last year and did come back into work after the rehab. Sadly he was then diaganosed with other problems - DJD in both hocks and low bone density which meant his bones were crumbling. I was told to keep him fit and muscled up all year to prevent further problems with the SI joint

 

[katiey]

Hi,
My 5 yr old had injection in his SI around xmas... he is back in work. Had lots physio and I have re-educated him really. Lots of lunging for few months now back in saddle. Taking things easier so he can re build strength and muscles. His trot is so much more flowing and bigger than it was before. He came back into work a little short on his off hind but within several weeks he got stronger and now tracks up beautifully and consistantly behind. With regards to jumping he showed me he was ok... jumped out arena when free schooled and over a huge hedge round the field!!! I havent started jumping him under saddle yet but i believe if he was not happy he would never have jumped those!!
I am hoping to event my boy too in the future and my vet said he be fine - his wife competed at HOYS last year on a mare who had SI problems and injections as a youngster. Im just keeping my fingers crossed that where i am building the muscle and strengthing the area and where he still maturing he will strengthen and not have any more SI issues.

Best of luck x

 

[HarwoodFarm]

Thank you sooooooo much everyone its really nice to hear Im not the only one and also to know roughly what sort of time scale Im looking at, I am on board him now but only every other day at walk for 20 mins. SOOOOOO BORED, me and him, lol. lovely to hear everyones comments. THANK YOU just what I needed to hear.

 

[katiey]

Did your vet advise you to stick to that exercise routine???

My vet told me to turnout for week... then lunge for 10 days then crack on... said while injection is most active get him moving and strengthen the area. I am a little behind with progress as he was only backed last year and with re-educating now have seen how much was missed out so taken him back to scratch. And also he had a dislike of the saddle (due to an ill fitting saddle with people i purchased him from) so wanted him to gain trust and good experiences with the saddle.
My vet was waiting to see him full work, walk, trot, canter and jump by end of this month but had to put back due to not rushing his education. But he is totally capable of that all... has been doing all on lunge (no more free schooling as he now knows he can jump out) huge pop on him as he only 14.3hh! x

 

[sbloom]

My 6 year old subluxated his SI joint and was given 5 months field rest, injections weren't around then, and tbh not sure I'd have gone for them anyway. He took 18 months to come fully sound, I had to work him up and open, no deep work at all (and it converted me away from deep work!) and often had to rest him for a couple of days as he could be a space cadet in the field and would upset the joint again. He was usually back to where he was before within a week, but it was why it took 18months to get him fully sound and functioning. He went on to work at medium dressage level, won at Novice level, and was jumping over 1m, plus jumping closer to 2m out of fields!

I found Bowen therapy suited him the best.

 

[4x4]

Janet - is that a purebred ID?

 

[HarwoodFarm]

Thats really interesting Katiey as my vet said totally different, I was told to restrict his grazing, being a 4yo TB he too can be a totally numpty if out in the field and could do more damage I've also been told to avoid lunging and stick to walking in straight lines no circle work yet. I've done a month of in hand walking him out on the roads and in the school over poles/ raised poles, and Im now walking in hand one day and riding the next but still only at walk, as when we last looked at him on the lunge he still could not canter and found it painful. :-(
I too am a BIG FAN of Bowen and have a great lady who comes round. I also have been doing loads of tail pulls and stretching.
sbloom its lovely to hear of a horse that has gone on and done so well with an SI injury as this is whats bothering me a bit at the back of my mind Im thinking is all this hard work and boring walking going to be worth the wait, as he really is a NICE HORSE.

 

[katiey]

That is really interesting! My vet has recently been in Holland on a course researching the SI (wanted to learn in more depth after his wife horse had SI problems) My physio has backed everything my vet has said too. I have been doing stretches with carrots with my boy to keep him bending etc. But was told to crack on! Getting the joint moving with the steriod there will help move it around and also he will realise that it isnt going to hurt anymore - the injection only lasts for so long so his words were 'getting his butt moving before it wears off'! I am so glad i did as he is really enjoying work now. Maybe re ask your vet or physio?? Gosh no wonder u both are bored :-(

 

[HarwoodFarm]

YEAH defo a good plan I will mention it when they are back on the 3rd April so I'll let you know what they say. as Im sure my horse and me will be keen to move on, he's certainly keen to go out and gives me a good hair raising ride for the first 10 mins, lol.

 

[katiey]

Good luck... keep me updated (would be nice to hear how you getting on with him).

He obviously is feeling good if he gives you a hair raising ride ... Hope you have good glue.

 

[HarwoodFarm]

Same to you!

keep in touch it will be nice to exchange story's .

Thank you.
Sarah

 

[katiey]

No worries. It is reasurring when you realise its not just you and your horse going through certain treatments
Will keep you updated... will get some pics of my boy soon aswell.
Katie

 

[xRobyn]

My lad has a supposed SI joint injury. Went lame near hind November 3rd, lameness investigation 22nd December revealed no changed in nerve blocking until his SI (showed 50% improvement from 4/10ths to 2/10ths) so was given a steroid injection and 6 weeks box rest with no improvement.

Rossdales on 21st February (2-3/20ths lame), bone scan showed some hot spots to his SI on both sides and on his left hock (although vet believes the hock is irrelevant) but it wasn't conclusive enough for them to be happy. Had a rectal ultrasound which showed 'changes' to the middle patella on both stifles, further nerve blocks and x rays showed nothing conclusive. They medicated his left and right SI area and his left stifle and he's been on box rest since then with 10 minute in-hand walks (increasing by 5 mins a week) and is being re-evaluated next week but I don't think he's sound

 

[HarwoodFarm]

OH YOU Poor thing sounds awful, 10 mins walk a day, you must be going mad the both or you especially if your poor horse is on box rest too. :-( keep me informed how he gets on, BEST of Luck.

 

[xRobyn]

Thank you, it is quite frustrating but we're doing all we can

We're up to 25 minutes walking now, but he's bored of it, hopefully we can start to make things more interesting soon.

 

[HarwoodFarm]

I can totally understand my poor boy is taking chunks out of me as he's so bored, I let him chew the lead rope now otherwise I dont think I'd have an arm left it's only bordom.

 

[Sarah_Jane]

Sarnita had to have her SI joint medicated and we then went through 4 months steady rehab and regular chiro visits. I was told it may need medicating again but we didn't have another problem, since this she has jumped double at 2 Open Intermediates before a different problem (unrelated) raised its head. If you do the rehab properly I would think you have a good chance.

 

[HarwoodFarm]

THANK YOU, SJ just what I needed to hear, a little bit of hope. fingers crossed. S x

 

[DollyDolls]

Last yr my mare went lame and was bone scanned/ nerve blocked/ etc for diagnosis.

It was her SI area and then she had shockwave treatment and injections into the SI area.
These didn't really give me the miracle cure I was after.

I then used a Osteo and a Physio. The Osteo could change the way she carried herself and the Physio got my saddle sorted and got rid of the spasms in her back. She is now in full work and has been sound for 6months.
She has been hunted again and would be out SJing, but she's going in foal now we know she's fixed.

I would always keep up the Osteo and Physio, but I was glad I had all the diagnositics done first from the vet. (PS Bone scan did not show any hot spots)

 

[superpony]

My pony injured his about 4 years ago. He was on box rest for a while and then allowed out in a tiny square. We spent weeks doing inhand walking slowly building up whilst he was still on box rest (he was a nightmare to walk out but we got there in the end).

He seems to have fully recovered and does affiliated dressage nowadays so definately good stories around.

 

[YasandCrystal]

Hi my WB was diagnosed with chronic SI dysfunction by Sue Dyson. She believed it was likely he had had the injury for more than 3 years untreated.
We did rehab via in hand pessoa work in walk and over poles - mainly straight lines. I had a phyio out to him at least 10 times to give hime Tens nerve stimulation as well as the muscle stimulation.
The turing point came when I sent him away to a holistic vet who is also osteopath and acupunture qualified; she manipulated his sacrum - something which conventional vets do not believe possible and he has gone from strength to strength since. She recommended 8 months turned away, which we have done and he moves so much better. He has also built up 4 cm of gluteus muscle on the affected side which is brilliant. We intend to recommence inhand and then ridden work in late spring/early summer.

We have LOU for him as SI injuries notoriously have a predicted poor outcome. He was injected in the SI region but that made no difference as the injury was chronic. Bone scan showed no hot spots.
For me the holistic vet approach is perfect - my horse should now self maintain. My biggest fear was having to keep him super fit and muscled to support the joint, with this approach he should self maintain, which is another reason his movement has never been restricted.

 

[sugarpuff]

My horse wasn't "right" 18months ago and ended up at Newbury for bone scans which showed up SI joint hot spots. Had steroid injections into both sides followed by 2 months long & low Pessoa work over raised poles before starting ridden work. No box rest. No time off.
Been back in ridden work for about 10-11 months now and going really well (fantastic lateral movement, uphill canter, etc)
My vets have told me to keep joint strong, (no time off & raised poles) he also has to work correctly so no sloping along on a loose rein all day every day!
I do lots of long & low work everytime ridden, stretches, lateral movements, poles.

Am just getting a gp saddle sorted so will start to jump again soon, but prob won't be competed and will only be jumped on good surfaces.
No sign of him needing further treatment. 2-3 monthly physio visits.

I would be interested in trying acupuncture if he stopped making progress/ got worse.

Good luck! It's not always as bad as you first imagine!

 

[HarwoodFarm]

Just thought I'd let you all know Im back riding my lovely boy and so far so good, we have only just started to canter as we have brought him back in slowly. Thank you for all your reply's its nice to know there is light at the end of the tunnel.

 

[Paddy Irish]

I'm so pleased for you , for me the journey is just begining as Paddy is off to Bristol vets in June to have a sintigraphy bone scan as he's been diagnosed with a SI injury , i'm keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[HarwoodFarm]

Best of luck Im sure all will be fine and you'll come out the other end, had a great ride on my boy this morning we are cantering normally again today its worth the wait in the end. just take your time and make sure the re-hab is done right and you should be well away like us.

 

[katiey]

Ahh so glad to hear this ... good news and outcomes all round.
My boy is doing great too. This is us jumping on saturday (its a bit blurry as its a still from a video...

Lets hope we all keep heading in the right direction and thanks for keeping us updated x