After your SI Joint Intra-articular Injection, you will be monitored for approximately 15-30 minutes. The clinic will give you appropriate directions to follow for care following the procedure.
Post-procedure soreness may be experienced. Typically this soreness is caused by muscle and nerve irritation. You may also notice some numbness and tingling in the leg and foot for a maximum of 4-6 hours.
There should be pain relief immediately lasting 4-6 hours. The corticosteroid takes about 1-week post-injection for it to take optimal effects. Pain relief lasts anywhere from a few weeks to several months, depending on the ultimate cause of your SI joint pain.
Do I have SI Joint Pain?
If you have pain for greater than 2 months in the lower back, buttock, and/or leg area you may have SI joint pain.
Tests such as X-rays or MRIs do not always show if the SI joint is the reason for your pain. The best way to test if you have this pain is to block the pain signal from the lateral nerve.
SI Joint Intra-articular Injection
A thin needle is inserted directly into the SI joint under fluoroscopy (a type of X-ray). Fluoroscopy is used to position the needle accurately and safely. A small amount of dye is used by the Physician to assess if the needle is in the proper position. This injected dye can cause some discomfort.
With the correct needle position, the joint is then injected with a combination of a corticosteroid (anti-inflammatory) and an anesthetic into the irritated SI joint.
What is a SI Joint Intra-articular Injection?
This outpatient procedure is used to help with diagnosing and/or treating pain from the low back to the buttock, and sometimes into the leg.
What are SI Joints?
The SI joint is what attaches the spine to the hip. It is made up of the Sacrum (part of the spine) and the Ilium (part of the hip).
There are many ligaments that help to strengthen the SI joint.
Lateral nerves extend from the Sacrum and communicate with the SI joint. Therefore the nerves tell the brain when the SI joint has been injured.