Sacroiliac Joint Injections | Chiropractor in San Diego, CA

Situated at the base of the spine, sacroiliac joints connect the spine to the pelvis. One of the most common causes of lower back pain is inflammation in the sacroiliac joint. The joint is also called the SI joint. This inflammation can also cause pain in the legs, groin, and buttocks. These symptoms are quite common and can stem from other problems.

Unfortunately, sacroiliac joint dysfunction does not respond well to normal pain treatments. Your doctor needs to confirm that SI joint dysfunction is the cause of the pain you are experiencing. This will help him or her prescribe the appropriate treatment plan.

What Are Sacroiliac, Or SI, Joint Injections?

Here, doctors inject a steroid drug and local anesthetic into the SI joint. The local anesthetic used during this treatment helps patients experience pain relief for several hours. Once the anesthetic wears off, the pain often returns. The steroid medication may offer longer-lasting relief from pain. It usually starts working after one to two days.

Types and Benefits of Sacroiliac Joint Injections

Your doctor can use SI joint injections to diagnose and treat sacroiliac joint dysfunction.

Diagnostic Sacroiliac Joint Injections

These injections help determine whether the pain you are experiencing is coming from your sacroiliac joint. If this is the source of your lower back pain, your doctor will likely perform a series of diagnostic tests. These tests involve stressing your sacroiliac joints in several different directions.

If at least three of the five sacroiliac joint provocative tests causes you to experience pain symptoms, your doctor will recommend a diagnostic sacroiliac joint injection. This injection will confirm that the sacroiliac joint is the source of your lower back pain. This injection helps to confirm a diagnosis and provide temporary pain relief. It is not just for pain relief.

Therapeutic Sacroiliac Joint Injection

This is a non-invasive treatment used to relieve sacroiliac joint pain. It helps patients to go about their daily activities. Therapeutic SI joint treatments include SI joint belts, medication, SI joint injections, physical therapy, and nerve numbing. These differ from diagnostic injections in that they provide pain relief for weeks or even months.

Other Benefits of Sacroiliac Joint Injections

Following an SI joint injection, you may experience immediate pain relief from the local anesthetic. As the anesthetic wears off, you may experience a slight increase in your pain. This pain may last for a few days before the cortisone takes effect. If this happens, use ice to reduce the level of pain you are experiencing. Two to five days after the injection, you will start noticing a reduction in your pain.

SI joint injections are very successful in patients with sacroiliac joint dysfunction. In one study, patients with sacroiliac joint dysfunction got sacroiliac joint injections. Results demonstrated a reduction in pain for more than six weeks for about two-thirds of participants.

To learn more about the benefits of sacroiliac joint injections, call Alicja Steiner, MD at (619)304-1539. You can also visit our offices in San Diego, California. Your health and wellness are our top priority. We use the latest techniques and technology to provide the highest quality of care.