Sacroiliac joint injections are used to both diagnose and/or treat pain in the lower back. Many times, these injections are used to treat people living with sciatica.
What are sacroiliac joints?
These joints are in the lower part of the back, near the spine. There is one located on each side of the spine and help connect hip bones and the sacrum, which is the lower part of the spine. Many patients deal with lower back pain in these joints, as they can become inflamed or have other dysfunction associated with them.
What is a sacroiliac joint injection?
There are two reasons a person would get one of these injections. First of all, they can be used on a diagnostic level, diagnosing the specific sacroiliac joint dysfunction. To do this, the doctor will numb the joint with a local anesthetic and then the needle will be inserted into the joint with a contrasting solution and numbing medicine. The procedure is observed through an x-ray machine and when the solution has made its way into the joint, the patient will be asked to move around to mimic regular day-to-day movements that usually cause pain. If the patient feels a lessening of pain, due to the anesthetic, this usually means that there is some dysfunction with the joint.
The second reason for this procedure is for therapeutic reasons, meaning a patient can get an injection and experience pain relief. The injection procedure is the same as the above with the exception that anti-inflammatory medicines are injected instead. This can help relieve pain on a more long term basis. These types of injections are safe to do up to three times a year and are often done in tandem with physical therapy or other rehabilitative services that can help reduce back inflammation.
To find out if this procedure is for you, or if sacroiliac joint injections are fr you, contact Dr. Cash at www.disclv.com.
You can also view Dr. Cash's Verified Reviews® here or his personal page at www.andrew-cash-md.com.