About the treatment
A Sacro-Iliac (SI) Joint injection is an interventional pain treatment procedure for patients suffering from lower back or buttock area pain. This procedure can be used for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Guided by fluoroscopic imaging (x-ray), a Desert Pain Specialists physician injects a local anesthetic into the affected SI joint. If the injected anesthetic relieves your pain, this confirms the diagnosis. Corticosteroid medication may also be also injected for therapeutic benefit. This strong, long-acting medicine reduces inflammation and provides pain relief over an extended period of time. If performed for diagnostic purposes and relief is received, your physician may recommend radio frequency ablation of the joint which is a longer-lasting option. This procedure typically requires 15-20 minutes, including preparation time, and is followed by a short period of observed recovery time.
Immediate but temporary pain relief (lasting a few hours) may occur from the local anesthetic injected into the joint. The benefit from the corticosteroid medicine will typically occur within two weeks following the procedure and may last for several months. Although they are not a cure, SI joint injections are a very effective procedure in reducing inflammation of the joint and providing considerable pain relief for an extended period of time.