SACROILIAC JOINT BLOCKS and RFA

Indications

Sacroiliitis

Degenerative sacroiliac joint disease

Sacroiliac joint Dysfunction

Procedure

The SI joint block is performed to relieve pain caused by arthritis in the sacroiliac joint, where the spine and hipbone meet.

In general, a sacroiliac joint block is performed to achieve one or both of the below goals:

Diagnostic: Diagnostic blocks are administered with the purpose of trying and establishing the exact structural abnormality, which is causing the symptoms. This is also known as finding the ‘pain generator’.

Therapeutic: In this type of an injection, corticosteroids are injected to reduce the inflammation at the source of the problem that is causing the symptoms.

The procedure for a sacroiliac joint block is aimed at placing the medication into the sacroiliac joint, either on left or on right.

In the SI joint block injection approach, a physician uses fluoroscopic guidance (live x-ray) and inserts a needle into the sacroiliac joint. He then inserts a needle into the sacroiliac joint with a mixture of lidocaine, which is a numbing agent and a steroid (an anti-inflammatory medicine).

An SI joint block injection can be repeated up to three times per year. However, for the treatment to be successful, the injection should be followed by physical therapy and/or chiropractic manipulations to provide mobilization and range of motion exercises.