Hi Cemc,

There are other factors to consider besides your SI joints. You have described the fact that you have a close relative with AS, a family history of autoimmune disorders and reduced chest expansion. All these factors are equally as important as your SI joints when it comes to diagnosis.

So I don't think you need to give up at all. I think you need to be persistent with your doctor that there is "something" wrong and try to give all symptoms without putting an emphasis on any single one.

In these days of internet knowledge, it has become common for people to self-diagnose and then present to their doctors just those symptoms that support their self-diagnosis. (I'm not suggesting you are doing this - just that some do.) As a result it's possible to miss the real diagnosis. So my personal opinion is that we need to work with our doctors, be open to other ideas and be honest about all symptoms.

So I encourage you to be persistent. It's not impossible that your SI joint is suffering from degenerative problems but you still have an autoimmune disorder causing the other issues.

Wendy

Rheumatoid Arthritis
Methotrexate, Celebrex, Plaquenil