Sacroiliac Injections for Joint Pain Relief
This procedure entails the injection of a local anesthetic and steroid medication into the sacroiliac joint, causing movement pain and swelling, tenderness, and redness in the affected area.
Joint pain relieved by sacroiliac injections:
- Bursitis
- Gout – crystals in joint
- Fractures
- Osteoarthritis
- Tendinitis
- Strains and sprains
Steroid injections into the affected joint provide relief from pain and swelling.
Sacroiliac Injection Procedure Fundamentals
This in-office procedure is designed to make sure you are as comfortable as possible before, during, and after treatment.
Sacroiliac injections are performed on an X-Ray table as follows:
- The injection site is cleansed with an antiseptic solution – betadine or chlorhexidine
- The area around the injection site is covered by sterile drapes
- The skin is numbed with a local anesthetic–numbing medication
- X-rays guide the needle to the targeted sacroiliac joint
- Numbing medicine and the steroid are injected into the target joint
- After the needle is removed, the injection site is cleansed, and a band-aid is applied
Joint pain is lessened immediately after the injection, however, pain may return after the local anesthetic wears off. Steroid medication takes two to three days to work for most people. During this time, ice pack application to the injection site helps to alleviate interim discomfort.
Sacroiliac Joint Injection Pain Treatment
Where your spine meets the pelvis, a sacroiliac injection can be made directly into the joint to help ease the pain. There are two sacroiliac joints – one on each side of the body – connecting the sacrum to the pelvis. These joints are shock absorbers transmitting weight and force between the legs and upper body.