Pinkerton Pain Therapy 

General Information:  If the sacroiliac joints in the become painful due to arthritis, mechanical stress, or injury; sacroiliac joint injections may help to relieve your pain as well as confirm or deny the source of your pain. The medicine used in the injection is usually a combination of local anesthetic and a steroid.  The patient will be positioned lying prone on a bed.  The doctor will use an x-ray machine called a fluoroscope to determine the positioning of the needle during the procedure.

Potential Side Effects:  Very few patients report side effects from sacroiliac joint injections.  The reported side effects and complications have been:

• Numbness or weakness in the legs: This can occur during or after the procedure.  In addition to blocking the nerves that cause pain, local anesthetics placed in the sacroiliac joint can spill over onto other types of nerves as well.  This generally lasts only a few hours.  You should notify your physician of symptoms lasting more than 24 hours.
• Bleeding
• Infection
• Steroid side effects:  Steroid administration can cause side effects such as flushing in the face or chest, elevated blood pressure, elevated blood sugars (especially in diabetic patients).

How Long Will The Pain Relief Last?

You may notice relief from your usual pain immediately after the injection.  This is likely due to the anesthetic medication.  Your pain may return after 2-4 hours and may become worse for a short period of time.  It is important to keep detailed notes for your physician on your response to the injection for the first 3 days after the injection.  If you do not have relief from your pain after one week, or if your pain is relieved but returns very soon after, contact your physician's office.

Additional Information: 

• Your pain may become worse for 24-48 hours.  The medication used to treat your pain has been deposited around nerves that are already inflammed.  It is important to keep detailed notes for the first 3 days after your procedure for your physician.

• You may have soreness at the injection site for 24-48  hours.  Avoid applying heat to the area during this time as this will increase swelling.  Use ice as described in your post-procedure instructions.  If any redness or fever occurs, contact your physician immediately or go to an urgent care.

• Additional injections may be needed to get your pain under control initially.  If you still have pain one week after  you have received an injection and you do not have an appointment scheduled, contact your physician's office for instructions.

• The amount of steroid each patient may safely receive each calender year varies.  Your physician will determine what amount is appropriate for you and alert you if you are reaching the maximum dose you may receive.  If you are receiving steroid medication from other physicians it is important to notify your physician of this.

• We believe that exercise is an important part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and has been shown to be extremely beneficial for patients suffering from back pain.  You will be given information on what exercise is appropriate for you.