Sacroiliac Joint Injections in Marietta, GA

A sacroiliac joint injection is administered to alleviate sacroiliac joint pain. This steroid and anesthetic injection can be an effective way to reduce inflammation or swelling caused by arthritis or sacroiliitis.

What Is the Sacroiliac Joint?

Although it may be hard to tell when looking at pelvic bone structure, there is actual a joint between the sacrum (base of your spine) and ilium (hip bone). The sacroiliac joints, which are “synovial plane” joints, support the weight of the upper body.

A synovial plane joint doesn’t bend like a ball and socket, rather it allows very slight tilting, rotation or sliding movements – usually a matter of millimeters or degrees.

As with any joint in the human body, the sacroiliac joint can be affected by arthritis or be the source of pain and inflammation. Sacroiliitis specifically is inflammation of one or both of the sacroiliac joints. Sacroiliitis is often characterized as pain in the low back, thigh or buttock.

The Sacroiliac Joint Injection Procedure

You’ll lie face down with a pillow under your stomach. A local anesthetic will numb the skin at the low back injection site. The needle, which might be guided using fluoroscopy, will be carefully inserted into the sacroiliac joint and the mix of anesthetic and steroid will be injected to bathe the areas responsible for your pain.

The procedure itself is relatively simple and only a small bandage is necessary to cover the injection site. You should avoid getting the injection site wet for approximately 24 hours afterwards. Your doctor may recommend over-the-counter painkillers to deal with soreness or lingering pain at the injection site.

How frequently you require sacroiliac joint injections depends on the root cause and severity of your pain. Many patients receive up to three sacroiliac joint injections over the course of a year. Sacroiliac joint injections might be just one part of your recovery program. Your Non-Surgical Orthopaedics doctor may also work with you and physical therapists on developing a comprehensive rehabilitation and physical therapy plan to permanently eliminate or alleviate your sacroiliitis.

Sacroiliac Joint Injections as a Diagnostic Tool

If the sacroiliac joint injection is being used to diagnose the source of your low back pain your orthopaedist may ask you to perform some of the movements that cause your pain after you’ve received your injection.

If you experience a roughly 75 or 80 percent reduction in pain after the sacroiliac joint injection, then it’s possible your low back pain was the result of sacroiliac dysfunction. If you’re still experiencing the pain after the injection, your doctor can rule out the sacroiliac joint as the source. In either case, additional injections may be performed to confirm the diagnosis or provide additional pain relief.

Schedule Your Orthopaedic Appointment in Marietta or Carrollton

The pain management injection specialists at Non-Surgical Orthopaedics have extensive experience diagnosing and treating all types of joint, back and leg pain. Schedule an appointment today by calling 770-421-1420.