Sacroiliac Joint Injections Effectively Treat Low Back Pain
Are you experiencing low back pain that can’t be resolved by rest, massage therapy or over the counter pain relievers? Is the pain becoming more frequent and is affecting your daily activities? If you answer yes to these questions, then it’s time to visit your doctor for a check-up.
Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction Causes Low Back Pain
The low back pain you’re experiencing can be due to sacroiliac joint dysfunction. It’s the discomfort felt in the sacroiliac joint or SI joints that is causing the low back pain.
Not to be confused with the radiating pain caused by sciatica, sacroiliac joint dysfunction has to do with the SI joint that functions as the connecting joint between the sacrum and the pelvis. The sacrum is the bone between your tailbone and the lumbar spine. The SI joint is mostly associated with little movements and absorbing small shocks whenever you bend forward or backward.
Oftentimes, someone experiences sacroiliac joint dysfunction because of hypermobility or moving too much, causing instability in the pelvis area. Conversely, SI joint dysfunction can also be encountered when there’s too little movement or exertion. Your muscles tense up when you’re not as active as recommended, and this can lead to SI joint pain.
Relieve Pain Associated with Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction
Pain or soreness felt through joint dysfunctions should not be tolerated or taken for granted. It may start with just mere swelling and mild discomfort but can quickly worsen to deterioration of your bones and joints, severe muscle spasms and affect your overall mobility.
If you’re searching for a minimally invasive, convenient and lasting solution to your SI joint dysfunction, then a sacroiliac joint injection is a great option.
A sacroiliac joint injection is a two-fold solution since it is used to either diagnose the issue with your SI joint and to treat the cause of the pain.
During the diagnostic process, an SI joint injection anesthetizes the SI joint. After the injection has been administered and numbness is felt by the patient, the attending physician requests the patient to move in order to see where the pain is coming from. If the patient feels relief in the previously affected area after the SI joint injection has been administered, a diagnosis will be made. A second injection might be performed in order to confirm the initial diagnostic.
As for relieving the pain and to trigger the start of the therapy of the affected area, the same method for diagnosis will be used, but this time the injection will include a steroid medication to provide pain relief for the patient.
The SI joint injection can be done every three months to relieve the pain and discomfort and maintain mobility and normal function. Proper diet and exercise as well as the prescribed therapy and rehabilitation program will also be recommended.
Sacroiliac Joint Injection Procedure
What to Expect Before, During and After the Procedure
During the procedure, the doctor will use a live x-ray imaging to guide the needle toward the SI joint. A contrast dye will be injected to ensure that the medicine will properly flow into the correct joint without any blockages. The last injection will be composed of anesthetic and anti-inflammatory medication to complete the procedure.
About a half-hour after the injection, you’ll be asked to repeat the previous movements that used to cause sciatica, back and leg pain, to see if the pain still persists. Your doctor will document what you felt and how much relief you experienced versus how much pain still exists. If the effect of the injection takes longer than expected, you might not feel relief right away or even in the first couple of hours.
Common Risks and Side Effects
You may feel numbness in the affected area after 2 or 3 hours, after which the anesthetic medicine has worn off. This is when you might feel a tinge of the previous pain so it’s best to apply ice or a cold compress on it. You will notice vast improvement on the third day in terms of reduced swelling and pain.
Avoid driving on the day of the procedure as the numbness on the injected area might impair your ability to drive safely. That also goes for other similar functions that would require exerting effort and attentiveness.
Effectiveness of Sacroiliac Joint Injections
The sacroiliac joint injection is safe and effective. It has been used by countless individuals, regardless of age and health condition. As long as the patient meets the health criteria as a prerequisite to the procedure, then everything is expected to go smoothly.
The majority of patients do not even have to do the procedure as regularly as prescribed since they experience lasting relief from their SI joint and spine area after the procedure has been successfully administered. However, it is advised that for optimal health and functionality, it is still best to complete the necessary follow-up sessions, coupled with the complementary therapy and rehabilitation sessions.
Manage Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction in Charlotte
Our health should be a priority, especially as we age. However, prevention is still better than a cure, so it’s best to address any concerns at the onset while you still can.
You may be experiencing chronic low back pain due to sacroiliac joint dysfunction today but this doesn’t mean you should succumb to pain and do nothing. You can still and should enjoy the fullness of life and remain active. Get sacroiliac joint injections in Charlotte at Advanced Sports & Spine to preserve your health and maintain an active and worry-free life!
For inquiries and concerns, call us at 704-542-3988 or schedule your appointment today.