Have you been experiencing stabbing pains in your lower back? Is bending over, turning round, or rolling over into your bed even difficult for you? If this is the case, you might have a sacroiliac joint inflammation, and that is one pain in the back you would gladly do your Christmas holidays without.

What exactly are the sacroiliac joints, you might ask? They are two 'L-shaped' joints located on either side of the spine, down at the lower back. They rest between the pelvic ilium and the sacrum (small wedge-shaped bone at the bottom of your spine), and are held in place by a variety of muscles and ligaments. Sacroiliac joints make it possible for you to move your pelvis - they get pulled and twisted along the pelvic girdle, which is what happens every time you move your lower back.

When either of these joints gets inflamed, it can create a sharp pain in the lower back, upper thighs, and sometimes the buttocks. This is either caused by the fact that the joints get stuck, or that one half the pelvis continually glides backwards and forwards, irritating and inflaming the iliolumbar ligament.

Mild inflammations of the sacroiliac joints and the surrounding regions are not uncommon, but the more severe forms of sacroiliitis tend to crop up with old age. The most significant causes of sacroiliitis include pregnancy (because the pelvis is forced to expand during labour); trauma or sudden impact injury to the spine or pelvis; and degenerative arthritis, or osteoarthritis of the spine (which deteriorates the sacroiliac joints). But do not fret: it is possible to treat sacroiliitis, just as long as you visit your osteopath and keep an eye out for any early symptoms of the disease.

The most noticeable symptoms of sacroiliac joint inflammation include: - Restricted hip movement (having difficulty turning around or rolling over in bed) - Stiffness in the lower back after long periods of immobility (such after long car journeys) or when waking up in the morning - Difficulty bending down - Pain during sexual intercourse - Sharp pain the thighs when swinging your legs out of bed or out of the car

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it is important that you visit someone who understands the sacroiliac joint well, such as an osteopath. In the meantime, you can try to reduce the pain by doing the following: - When sitting or lying down, place a pillow in between your knees to take some of the pressure of the pelvis - Wrap a damp tea towel around an icepack and place it on the inflamed area for 10-minute intervals for a half hour. You can do this up to three times a day. - At night, sleep on your side instead of your back

While sacroiliac joint inflammation can be a real pain in the back, osteopaths can help cure the problem effectively through a combination of physical therapeutic techniques and anti-inflammatory medication. So as long as you visit your osteopath and nurture your body, you should be fit and healthy for the upcoming holiday season.