Sacroiliac Joint Injections
Sacroiliac Joint Injections
Sacroiliac joint injections offer pain relief for people facing chronic lower back discomfort from inflammation at the sacroiliac (SI) joint. They can also help physicians determine the true source of low back pain to manage it properly. With the correct treatment, you can experience significant pain relief. Sacroiliac joint dysfunction and sacroiliac joint pain does not need to interfere with quality of life.
To find out if sacroiliac joint injections may help you, call us today at (480) 573-0130 or contact us online.
What Are Sacroiliac Joint Injections?
Sacroiliac (SI) joint injections are performed in patients with pain from the SI joint, often due to inflammation in the joint called sacroiliitis. There are two SI joints, one on each side of where the spine connects to the pelvis. Patients with pain from the SI joint often have discomfort in the lower back, sometimes with symptoms that radiate to the buttocks, groin, or thigh.
One or both SI joints can be affected. When both joints are involved, a patient may receive bilateral sacroiliac joint injections.
Usually, a combination of a steroid and numbing medication is injected directly into the joint and the capsule surrounding it. If the patient obtains a certain percentage of relief, then the pain is most likely generated by the sacroiliac joint.
Why Choose a Sacroiliac Joint Injection?
Sacroiliitis can develop due to several common causes. These include injury to the joint (such as a fall or a motor vehicle accident), pregnancy (which loosens joints), arthritis (especially inflammatory forms of arthritis), and rarely, infection.
SI joint injections using steroids are one possible treatment option offering pain relief for sacroiliitis. When more conservative treatment options have not worked to reduce SI joint pain, an SI joint injection can offer effective, long-lasting pain relief.
Types of Injections
There are two types of sacroiliac joint injections:
Diagnostic SI joint injections
It can sometimes be difficult to determine if lower back pain is due to sacroiliitis or other causes. When a sacroiliac joint injection is performed and a person has at least 75% pain relief, they are diagnosed with sacroiliitis.
Therapeutic SI joint injections
These SI joint injections may be given up to three to four times per year to help reduce SI joint pain. Because steroids can have possible side effects, it is not recommended to repeat therapeutic injections more frequently. Your pain specialist can recommend the best approach to managing sacroiliitis based on your own unique factors.
What Happens During a Sacroiliac Joint Injection?
Before performing a sacroiliac joint injection, a doctor prepares the injection site by cleaning the area and uses a numbing cream or spray on the skin (also called local anesthetic). You may be offered medication that helps you relax. A special type of X-ray called fluoroscopy may also be used to help guide the placement of the needle into the joint and may include an X-ray contrast dye to show the joint clearly.
You may feel some pressure or slight discomfort when the injection begins, when the needle enters the joint, and again for a few seconds when the medication is injected (a stinging or burning sensation).
Once this is complete, the injection is done. Your healthcare team will place a bandage over the injection site and ask you to stay for around 30-45 minutes for monitoring, and then you can return home.
What Happens After a Sacroiliac Joint Injection?
After the SI joint injection is complete, be sure to follow any instructions given by your doctor. The leg on the side the injection was performed on may be slightly weak for a few hours. It is also normal for the injection site to be sore. Your doctor will tell you if you should restrict your activity and how to manage any discomfort at home.
Be sure to let your doctor know if you experience:
- Leg weakness or numbness that lasts longer than a few hours
- Severe discomfort
- Any redness, swelling, or drainage from the injection site, which can be a sign of infection
- Fevers
Sacroiliac Joint Injection FAQs
Sacroiliac joint injections are an important tool in the arsenal against pain related to sacroiliitis. Our team of board-certified pain specialists can help develop the right treatment plan for you, including SI joint injections if appropriate.
Common questions patients may have about sacroiliac joint injections include:
How effective are sacroiliac joint injections?
For most people—as many as 90%—therapeutic SI joint injections offer some degree of pain relief.
How long does pain relief from a SI joint injection last?
At first, you may not notice immediate pain relief. You may even notice some increased SI joint pain. This does not mean the injection isn’t working. It can take 24-72 hours, and occasionally longer, for the steroid medication to begin reducing inflammation in the joint, decreasing pain.
Each person responds differently to SI joint injections. The pain relief from a SI joint injection can last anywhere from days to months. Sometimes, the relief decreases with each injection. Your pain specialist can recommend the best treatment for you.
What are some sacroiliac joint injection side effects?
Like all medical procedures, sacroiliac joint injections have some possible side effects. They include:
- A small risk of infection, bleeding, allergic reaction to the medication used, or nerve injury
- Pain that is worse after an SI joint injection — this is temporary and due to the injection itself
- Elevated blood sugar, especially if you are diabetic
- Fluid retention
- Bruising
How much does a sacroiliac joint injection cost?
The cost of a sacroiliac joint injection will depend on several factors, including the patient’s location and health insurance coverage. Insurance may limit the number of injections it pays for each year; for example, Medicare will pay for no more than four SI joint injections every 12 months.
At Advanced Spine and Pain, we can help answer questions about cost, health insurance, and payment before the procedure.
Who should not get an SI joint injection?
Be sure to let your doctor know if you have a history of unusual bleeding, take blood-thinning medications, are diabetic, have any allergies to medications, have had a reaction to contrast dyes in the past, or have a history of other medical problems. They will help you determine if an SI joint injection is safe.
What happens if a sacroiliac joint injection doesn’t work?
There are many treatment options for chronic pain, and if a sacroiliac joint injection doesn’t work for you, Advanced Spine and Pain’s board-certified pain specialists can provide expert guidance on what your next steps are, including options for longer-lasting pain relief. Some other treatment options include:
- Physical therapy
- Bracing
- Non-steroid treatments like biologics-based therapies and radiofrequency procedures
- SI joint fusion surgery
Ready to Learn More About Sacroiliac Joint Injections?
If you’re experiencing chronic lower back pain on one or both sides of your lower spine, the experienced team at Advanced Pain and Spine can help you learn more about your treatment options, including sacroiliac joint injections.
Contact us today for expert advice from our team or call us at (480) 573-0130.