Suffering from sacroiliac joint dysfunction can be debilitating, affecting nearly every part of your life. Many cases of adult back pain originate in this lowest part of the spine that connects to the pelvis. Also referred to as SI joint dysfunction, patients are often able to find symptom relief and a return to normal activity from conservative treatments without resorting to surgical options.

How do sacroiliac joint injections work?

One of the most commonly used conservative treatments to relieve the pain and symptoms associated with sacroiliac joint dysfunction are sacroiliac joint injections. These injections can serve two main functions. In addition to providing pain relief, they can also serve a diagnostic role by confirming the SI joint as the origin point of symptoms.

Confirming or eliminating SI joint dysfunction is important because many cases of failed back surgery syndrome are the result of a specialist not examining this region. For example, many spine conditions, like herniated discs, do not always cause symptoms. So there are cases where a spine specialist will see a herniated disc in the back and diagnose it as the source of lower back pain when SI joint dysfunction was actually the cause.

Though they can reduce the pain and discomfort for a short amount of time, sacroiliac joint injections cannot permanently relieve symptoms from this condition. In many situations, injections will be used to enable a patient to complete other therapies that are associated with lasting relief and regained mobility. These include:

• Physical therapy
• Low-impact exercise
• Stretching
• Massage
• Medication
• Swimming
• Hot/cold therapy

USA Spine Care

If a full course of doctor-prescribed treatments, including sacroiliac joint injections, have been attempted and you are still finding your work, hobbies and relationships negatively affected, surgical treatment will usually be considered. Traditional open back surgery to treat the SI joint typically involves a large, muscle-tearing incision that leads to a long, often painful, recovery before daily activities can be resumed.

USA Spine Care offers these patients minimally invasive outpatient procedures as an alternative to traditional open spine surgery. Our SI joint fusion is specifically designed to treat the pain and symptoms associated with sacroiliac joint pain. For more information and to find out if you’re a candidate for our procedures, contact USA Spine Care today to learn more.

We are happy to provide a free MRI review* to determine if you are a potential candidate for one of our outpatient procedures.

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