Written by Zita Sham, Fairuuz Saleh and Shiv Mohan Banka, Principal Physiotherapists at Phoenix Rehab.Clinically reviewed by Louise Yow, Principal Physiotherapist & Director, AHPC A1300363H.Last reviewed 28 September 2026.

Painful inflammation of our sacro-iliac joint can be a symptom of a range of inflammatory conditions, including:

DEGENERATIVE ARTHRITIS

Also known as osteoarthritis of the sacroiliac joint, degenerative arthritis is primarily caused by wear and tear and breakdown of the joint cartilage. It can also be caused by diseases, injuries and direct impacts.

The wearing and breakdown of our sacroiliac joint cartilage can be caused and/or aggravated by:

age (the older, generally the more wear and tear)
obesity (the heavier, the more load is put through the joints)
direct trauma
repeated stress on the sacroiliac joints from repetitive movements and strains
malformed/misaligned joints.

ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS (AS)

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) usually begins as sacroiliitis. Ankylosing spondylitis begins in our sacroiliac joints, before it progresses by traveling upwards along the spine through a vicious cycle of inflammation, erosion and calcification.

To be able to accurately diagnose ankylosing spondylitis, our sacroiliac joints need to be clearly seen to be affected by the inflammation cycle. This detection of AS-related sacroiliitis can be done via

X-ray imaging
MRI scans
CT scans
Blood tests to detect elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) and/or erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR).

PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS (PSA)

Psoriatic arthritis is an auto-inflammatory disease that causes

pain and swelling in our joints
scaly skin patches (commonly known as psoriasis).

Psoariatic arthritis can be hard to distinguish from rheumatoid arthritis because their symptoms overlap. That being said, psoriatic arthritis is much more likely to cause spondylitis which is the inflammation of the joints in our spine, which also includes the sacroiliac joints.

If sacroiliitis is amongst the symptoms experienced by a patient, then the patient is more likely to have psoriatic arthritis. Research shows that 10% of patients with psoriasis develop psoriatic arthritis, and 90% of them do not experience any forms of joint pain and swelling.

GOUT

Gout is a painful condition that is caused when the build up of uric acid forms uric acid crystals that can travel. These uric acid crystals insert painfully into the joints, causing swelling and pain.

Gout is a common form of inflammatory arthritis, and it generally and typically affects one joint at a time (usually the big toe). But unfortunately in some cases, some gout patients may experience pain and inflammation in the sacroiliac joints too.

If the usual and typical gout treatments aren’t working for your sacroiliac joint symptoms, and there are no inflammatory conditions identified by a doctor, it is possible that you may receive direct treatment to the sacroiliac joint, such as

a diagnostic anesthetic injection to confirm the pain
steroid compound to treat the gouty pain

There are many different causes of sacroiliac joint pain and inflammation, and treating them effectively lies in identifying the main cause of the problem and treating the cause.

NON-ARTHRITIC CAUSES OF SI JOINT PAIN

Not all types of sacroiliac joint pains are caused by or related to arthritis. There are other causes such as direct trauma, pregnancy and even mechanical loads:

Trauma. The SI joint, which is comprised of the ligaments that surround and support the SI joint, can be injured by direct trauma. Our sacroiliac joint can be easily damaged even with mild or light force trauma. You can damage your sacroiliac joint by something as simple as stepping onto higher ground the wrong way or accidentally “jamming” the joint in a fall.
Lax ligaments during pregnancy. Pregnant bodies secrete the special hormones relaxin and progesterone to loosen the joints to prepare the body for childbirth. Sometimes, these ligaments get too lax and unfortunately in some cases, the sacroiliac joint can dislodge or slip out of place. Symptoms often decrease after pregnancy and childbirth, as the ligament automatically becomes stronger once the relaxin hormone is no longer secreted, and as patients increase activity levels.
Mechanical stress. Some people develop very stiff spines because of conditions like severe arthritis or surgical spinal fusion, which can increase the stress experienced at the SI joint due to overload/overcompensatory functions. Over a period of time, this can lead to degenerative changes and pain.

A trained and experienced clinician physiotherapist can assess, diagnose and treat the root cause of your sacroiliac joint pain and customize a specific treatment plan for you.

PHYSIOTHERAPY TREATMENT OF SACROILIAC DYSFUNCTION

Most of the causes of back pain linked to SI dysfunction can be treated with rest, anti-inflammatory medications and spinal physiotherapy.

When sacroiliac joint pain and sacroiliitis are caused by a specific type of arthritis, we always need to diagnose and treat the main cause underneath – there is no point just treating the symptoms only.

Sometimes the inflamed SI joint can be slightly misaligned and our clinician spinal/sacroiliac physiotherapist in Phoenix Rehab Singapore can help to realign the joint with a combination of

gentle, graded and guided exercise
joint manipulation
manual therapy.

At other times, injections are helpful to decrease the inflammation, and in some cases, surgical intervention is required for SI dysfunction that doesn’t respond to non-surgical interventions.

Where are you with this right now?

1. It is settling on its own

Most injuries and most flare-ups settle over weeks with sensible load management and a return to normal movement. Improvement is judged over a month, not over a day, and good days and bad days inside that are usual. If you are doing more this month than last, and sleeping better, it is behaving the way it should. You do not need us for this, and we would rather say so.

2. It has stopped improving

You have adapted without noticing. The other side takes the load, you plan movements you used to make without thinking, and you have quietly dropped things you used to do.

Pain is the first thing to leave. Movement and strength are the last things trained back, and most people stop before that part is done. That is the gap worth measuring, and it is not measured by how you feel on the day.

The Stalled Recovery Review is three appointments over three weeks with the same therapist, because what a joint does under load cannot be read in one visit. The first finds what is limiting it. The next two measure how it responds. $690, nett, no GST, which is three appointments at $230.

3. You have had surgery, or you have a date

Recovery after an operation has a shape, and knowing which stage you are in tells you whether you are on it. See the recovery programs, hand and physiotherapy, or the four stages and what each one works on if you are not sure which applies to you.

All of it runs on the same four stages. The Phoenix Recovery Protocol explains what each stage works on and what you have to meet to move up. No referral needed to start.

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What our patients say

Google reviews from our clinics in Singapore.

       
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   Micah 
 54 days ago
 
 
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Amazing experience with Phoenix Rehab, was assisted by Mavis. She’s very kind and professional and did thorough check on my wrist. I feel very comfortable during the process.

I went in for thermoplastic splint, and everything went smoothly. She was able to address my needs on my left wrist sprain.

They were prompt with appointment process and inquiry. Also the clinic is very close to Tanjong Pagar MRT. I highly recommend!
  
 
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   Chiky Phan 
 58 days ago
 
 
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Fist time doing ultrasound for my tennis elbow!! Let’s hope it gets better the next few weeks!! Thank Mavis Tham!!
  
 
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   XIN WANG 
 75 days ago
 
 
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Great treatment from my therapist. My painful wrist felt a lot of relief after the session. I’m glad I can slowly get back to doing my usual activities without constant pain.
  
 
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   Abby Lee 
 91 days ago
 
 
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Very helpful and friendly !
  
 
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   雪梅Cui 
 129 days ago
 
 
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The masseur is very professional and provides excellent service ，yati is very good!
  
 
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   Tra Nguyen 
 220 days ago
 
 
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I wasn’t able to close my fingers due to an injury. Nurul at Phoenix Rehab has helped me tremendously with my recovery process. I have been able to resume my daily activities and exercises after only a few sessions. Nurul has been very professional and positive throughout the entire process. Thank you so much for your help!
  
 
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   Juzer K 
 258 days ago
 
 
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Huge shoutout to Yuna Zhang from Phoenix Rehab for helping in my recovery from golfer’s elbow 🙌

I walked in with persistent elbow pain that was affecting workouts and everyday tasks, and Yuna immediately made me feel confident I was in the right hands. She took the time to properly assess my condition, explain the root cause, and tailor a treatment plan to my specific needs instead of using a one-size-fits-all approach.

What I really appreciated was how personalised every session felt. The exercises she gave me were practical, easy to follow, and actually worked. Within a short time, the pain reduced significantly and my strength and mobility improved much faster than I expected.

On top of that, the pricing is very reasonable and affordable, which made committing to recovery much easier.

Professional, knowledgeable, and genuinely caring — highly recommend Yuna at Phoenix Rehab if you’re dealing with hand-related sports injuries 💪
  
 
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   Fazal Hanafi Chaudhry 
 342 days ago
 
 
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I enjoy coming to Phoenix rehab as they offer a wide variety of services. I had a finger accident and was working with a very experienced hand therapist. Place is clean and comfortable.  Staff were friendly and appointment was on time
  
 
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   Stella Yam 
 483 days ago
 
 
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Very good
  
 
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   Juliana 
 485 days ago
 
 
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Have both physio n Tcm visits here, highly recommend!
  
 
 
  
 
 
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Find out which stage you are in

Pain is the first thing to leave. Movement and strength are the last things trained back, and most people stop before that part is done. One Assessment and Treatment is a single 45-minute appointment at $230, nett, no GST. Your therapist finds what is actually limiting you, treats it in the same appointment, and you leave with your current stage and a written plan.

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