SI joint injections are also known as sacroiliac joint blockers. This is an injection that is commonly used to diagnose the cause of lower back pain, though it also provides temporary pain relief for the patient. Your SI joints are next to your spine. They connect your tailbone with your hips. Sometimes these joints become inflamed due to deterioration with age, trauma to the joints, pregnancy, or from repetitive use injuries.
If your doctor decides that SI joint injections might benefit you, you’ll be given the injection under conscious sedation. The doctor will guide the needle into the joint using an x-ray. They will use a high contrast dye to make sure they are injecting the medication into the correct area. Then they will inject the site with a numbing agent. You should experience immediate pain relief which can last anywhere from one day or more long-term results. You can repeat these injections three times a year.