Sacroiliac Joint Injection: What to Expect

A sacroiliac joint injection places local anaesthetic, often with corticosteroid, into or around the joint to reduce pain and help confirm its source. The sacroiliac joints connect the base of the spine to the pelvis. Irritation in this area can cause pain in the lower back, buttock, hip, or upper leg. The injection is usually guided by imaging so the clinician can target the joint accurately. Read more about [Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction](/conditions/sacroiliac-joint-dysfunction/) if this is the suspected source of your symptoms.

The local anaesthetic may ease pain soon after the injection, but that early change can be temporary. If corticosteroid is used, its anti-inflammatory effect may build over the following days. Some people notice little immediate change, especially when the joint is not the main pain source. Your clinician may use your response to help plan physiotherapy and other care.

Tenderness, bruising, or a short-lived increase in soreness can occur at the injection site. Temporary numbness or weakness may happen while the local anaesthetic is active, so follow the clinic’s advice about driving and walking. Corticosteroid can sometimes cause a temporary flushing feeling or changes in blood glucose. Seek urgent medical help for fever, spreading redness, severe swelling, new weakness, or trouble controlling your bladder or bowel.

An injection is a treatment session, not a medicine that you take continuously. How long its benefit lasts varies with the cause of pain, activity, and response to rehabilitation. A clinician will decide whether a repeat injection is appropriate after reviewing your progress; repeated injections are not automatically scheduled. The aim is usually to create a window in which movement and targeted exercise are easier.

The injection can have two purposes: reducing inflammation and testing whether the sacroiliac joint contributes to your pain. It does not repair every possible cause of back or pelvic pain. Tell the team about allergies, infection, pregnancy, diabetes, blood-thinning medicines, and previous reactions before the appointment.

A specialist may consider this injection when pain appears to come from the sacroiliac joint and activity, physiotherapy, or medicines have not provided enough relief. It may also help clarify the pain source when examination and imaging leave uncertainty. The decision depends on your symptoms, examination, medical history, and goals rather than on a scan alone.

You change position as instructed, and the skin is cleaned. The clinician may use imaging to locate the joint, then numbs the skin before guiding a needle to the target. The medication is injected slowly, and the needle is removed with a dressing placed over the site. You are observed briefly and given instructions for the rest of the day. Bring a list of medicines and arrange help if your clinic advises against driving.

Mild soreness is common after the appointment. Rest from strenuous activity for the period advised by your clinician, while gentle movement may be encouraged. Keep the dressing and injection site clean according to the instructions. Record pain, walking tolerance, and any numbness so you can describe the response at follow-up. Improvement should be judged by easier function, not only by a brief change in pain.

Possible risks include bleeding, infection, nerve irritation, an allergic reaction, or temporary changes caused by the medicines used. Contact the clinic if pain is worsening rather than settling, or if the site becomes increasingly red, hot, or swollen. Seek urgent care for breathing difficulty, fainting, progressive weakness, or new bladder or bowel problems.

Depending on the diagnosis, care may include activity modification, physiotherapy focused on pelvic and trunk control, pain-relieving medicines, heat, or a broader rehabilitation plan. An injection may be combined with exercise rather than used alone. Your clinician can explain whether another source of pain needs separate assessment.

Look for an orthopedic, pain-medicine, or rehabilitation clinician who regularly assesses sacroiliac joint pain and performs image-guided injections. Ask who will perform the procedure, what preparation is needed, how medicines should be managed, and which symptoms require a call after treatment.