- 904-223-3321 (main phone)
- 904-223-2169 (main fax)
- 904-518-4199 (new patient fax)
SI Joint Injections
SI Joint Injections
A sacroiliac (SI) joint injection/block involves injecting numbing medication and sometimes steroid into a SI joint or the nerves that innervate the SI joint (lateral branch nerves). It is both a diagnostic and therapeutic procedure, meaning it helps determine whether or not a patient’s low back pain is coming from the SI joint or not, but also hopefully provides long-term relief. If a patient receives significant relief from a SI joint injection, then it means their pain is primarily coming from the SI joint.
SI Joint injections are an effective treatment option for:
Benefits of SI Joint Injections:
- Safe and effective treatment.
- Quick, minimally invasive procedure.
- No preparation needed.
What To Expect
Here’s what to expect with SI joint injections.
There is minimal preparation needed for a SI joint injection/block. If you are on a blood thinner, you may be instructed to discontinue the blood thinner, but it usually can be performed without stopping blood thinners.
SI joint injections are performed in a procedure room or operating room with the patient laying on his/her stomach. The physician will use a x-ray to guide a needle into the SI joint or at the location of the nerves that innervate the SI joint, where a small amount of numbing medication (and sometimes a steroid) will be injected.
There are no activity restrictions following an SI joint injection/block. Sometimes your physician may encourage you to go home and do activities that would normally aggravate your symptoms in order to see if the block is relieving your symptoms.
It is important to remember that this procedure is primarily diagnostic (used to determine the source of pain) and only expected to provide several hours of relief, but sometimes the pain relief will last much longer. If the patient receives significant relief for several hours after this procedure, they are likely a candidate for radiofrequency ablation or fusion of the joint.
Are SI Joint Injections Right For You?
If you suffer from lower back pain that has failed to improve with conservative management, an SI joint injection/block may be the next best step in determining the cause of your pain and proper treatment for your pain.