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SI Joint Injection

What should I expect during an SI joint injection?

In an SI joint injection, the doctor will use X-ray guidance to visualize the joint. He or she will clean off the skin overlying the joint, then you will feel a pinch and burn while the doctor numbs up the skin. Then the doctor will place a needle into the joint itself. If the joint is inflamed, oftentimes the patient will experience a familiar zing of pain in the area. It is not uncommon for the patient to say “that’s the spot!”. Then, the doctor will confirm they are in the joint using contrast dye. Once confirmed, the doctor will injection numbing medicine and steroid into the joint.

What should I expect after an SI joint injection?

The SI joint injection is both diagnostic and therapeutic. If this is the cause of the pain, then it should feel better right away while the numbing medicine is working. The numbing medicine wears off after 6-12 hours, and patients may experience a return of their pain. The steroid medications take 3-7 days to treat the inflammation in the joint and give long-lasting relief.

If you do not experience any lasting relief, this confirms that the SI joint is likely the pain generator, but it may be too degenerative or inflamed to respond to steroids. In this case, you may be a candidate for a procedure called an SI neurotomy.

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Office Locations

Center for Interventional Pain & Spine, LLC has multiple convenient locations to serve you. Get started by requesting an appointment at any of our offices located in Delaware and Pennsylvania areas near major hospitals and highways.

  • Delaware
  • Pennsylvania
  • Maryland
Silverside Carr Corporate Center
405 Silverside Road, Suite 104, Wilmington, DE 19809
844-365-7246
844-516-0080
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Pike Creek Sports Medicine and Professional Center
3105 Limestone Road, Suite 300, Wilmington, DE 19808
844-365-7246
844-516-0080
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The Helen F. Graham Cancer Center
4701 Ogletown-Stanton Road, Suite 1200, Newark, DE 19713
844-365-7246
844-516-0080
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Middletown Professional Center
291 Carter Drive, Suite B, Middletown, DE 19709
844-365-7246
844-516-0080
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Surgical Center Affiliations

  • Delaware
  • Pennsylvania
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