What is a Sacroiliac (SI) Joint Injection?

A Sacroiliac (SI) Joint Injection is performed with a long acting steroid medication and local anesthetic (numbing medication). The sacroiliac joints are located in the back where the sacrum joins the pelvis. The goal of a sacroiliac injection is to provide pain relief by reducing the inflammation at the SI joint.

How long does the SI joint injection take?

The procedure takes about 10 minutes. What are the pre-requisites in order to perform the procedure? You may need to stop taking certain medications several days before the procedure, especially anticoagulant or “blood thinning” medications, as well as other prescription and/or over-the-counter medications, including herbal and vitamin supplements.

Will the injection hurt?

Most people say the stinging/burning of the numbing medicine is the most uncomfortable part of the procedure, though everyone’s response to pain is individual.

What should I expect after the procedure and what are the side effects?

Immediately after the injection, you may feel that your pain may be lessoned or gone. This is a result of the local anesthetic that was injected. This should only last for a few hours. Your pain may return and you may have a sore back for one to two days. This is due to the mechanical process of needle insertion as well as initial irritation from the steroid itself. You should start noticing pain relief by the third to fifth day, which may last days to months. It is important that you keep track of the amount of pain relief you received as well as how long the pain relief lasted.

What should I do after the procedure?

Unless there are complications, you should be able to return to work the next day. The most common thing you may feel is soreness at the injection site. You may apply ice with a barrier such as a towel between the skin and ice to the affected area to help relieve the soreness. After the first day, you may perform activity as tolerated.