What are sacroiliac joints?

Sacroiliac joints connect the bottom of your spine (sacrum) to the outer part of your hip bone (ilium). You have two. These joints help transfer wait from your upper body to your lower body.

Sacroiliac joint pain may feel like simple muscle tension or can be severe. Pain can be felt from your low back down to your buttocks. If the joint is very inflamed, the pain can extend down the back of your leg.

What is a Sacroiliac Joint Injection?

A sacroiliac joint injection is an outpatient procedure for treating low back and buttocks pain. A local anesthetic and a corticosteroid are injected into one or both of your sacroiliac joints, or into the ligaments surrounding the joints. The local anesthetic, a numbing medicine, lessens your pain temporarily. The corticosteroid reduces inflammation that may be causing pain. The injection can be used for diagnosis and treatment. If the injection immediately lessens your pain and helps you move better, it tells the doctor that the sacroiliac joint is causing the pain.

What will the procedure be like?

A local anesthetic may be used to numb your skin. The doctor will insert a thin needle directly into the sacroiliac joint. Fluoroscopy, a type of x-ray, may be used to ensure safe and proper position for the needle. A dye may also be injected to help make sure the needle is at the correct spot. Once the doctor is sure the needle is correctly placed, the medicine will be injected.

What next?

You will be monitored for up to 30 minutes after the injection. Before you leave, you will be given discharge instructions. Keeping track of your pain helps the doctor know what the next steps will be. It may help to move in ways that hurt before the injection, to see if the pain is still there, but do not overdo it. You may feel immediate pain relief and numbness in your back for a brief period of time after the injection. This means the medication has reached the right spot. Your pain may return after this short pain-free period, or may even be a little worse for a day or two. This is normal. It may be caused by the needle irritation or by the corticosteroid itself. corticosteroids usually take two or three days to start working, but can take as long as a week. You can usually return to work the day after the injection, but always check with your doctor.

How long will it last?

The amount and duration of pain relief varies from person to person and is dependent on many factors including underlying pathology and activity level. Some can have relief that lasts years, while others have short-term relief. Usually a series of injections, often three, each spaced a week or two apart, are given. It is important to discuss with you physician your response to the sacroiliac joint injection in order to plan your future treatment options.