Sacroiliac Joint Injection

For many who have not found relief in other methods, sacroiliac joint injections can be the answer. This minimally invasive procedure can be both a diagnostic and treatment tool. If your pain relief does not last, your doctor may recommend radiofrequency ablation (RFA) , which involves applying radio waves to the nerves outside of the joint, potentially giving longer relief.

Everyone is different and will experience relief at different rates, but you may feel better in a few minutes to an hour. Your doctor may administer cortisone and anesthetic, providing relief within the hour but potentially returning when the anesthetic wears off. The pain relief often returns in a few days when the cortisone starts working.

If your lower back/buttock pain has persisted for more than four weeks and has not been helped by other methods, you may consider this treatment. Contact one of our board-certified physicians to start treatment early and increase your chances of success.

Your doctor will give you specific instructions, but these are some common rules:

• No blood thinners for 2 days before test
• No aspirin 5 days before test
• No anti-inflammatories 5 days before test
• No pain medication 8 hours before test
• No food or drink 6 hours before test
• Arrange for someone to drive you home

When you arrive for treatment, you will check in, finish paperwork, change into a hospital gown, and lie on a bed. An IV will be started to administer medication to relax you.

You will move to let the physician access your sacroiliac joint, which he will sterilize and anesthetize. Using fluoroscopy (live x-ray), your doctor will guide a needle into the epidural space. Anesthetics, steroids, and/or antibiotics will be administered. You will be awake to relay any discomfort.

As with any medical procedure, risks are involved. These may include low blood pressure, infection, injury to nerve tissue, or headache. Your doctor will discuss these risks with you prior to the procedure.