SI Joint Injection
A local anaesthetic and corticosteroid are injected into one or both of your sacroiliac joints. It could also be injected into the ligaments surrounding the joints. The local anaesthetic, a numbing medication, lessens your pain temporarily. The corticosteroid reduces inflammation that may be causing pain. If you have any questions after reading this information about lumbar medial branch block, please call us. We, at Spine Physicians Institute, have performed this procedure on countless patients over the years.
Step-by-Step Procedure
- During the sacroiliac joint injection procedure, the doctor will insert a needle directly into the sacroiliac joint.
- Fluoroscopy, or x-ray imaging, is used to ensure safe and proper placement of the needle.
- Dye is injected to make sure the needle is correctly placed.
- Once correct placement is verified, the medication is injected.
Recovery
You are monitored for up to 30 minutes after the sacroiliac joint injection. It is important to keep track of your pain to help your doctor know what the next step will be. You may feel immediate pain relief in your back for 2-6 hours following the injection. It is normal for pain to be worse for 1 or 2 days following the injection. This may be due to needle irritation or by the steroid itself. Steroids generally take 2-7 days to begin working. It is generally okay to return to work a day after the injection.
For more questions, contact our offices located in Dallas, Irving, Red Oak, Plano, Southlake, Grapevine, Colleyville and Duncanville marketplaces.