Low back pain is widespread and can lead to long-term disability among many people. When you have pain from sacroiliac joint dysfunction, it can be hard to move around or get comfortable. Ice and heat are also not enough to help when resting. Having the right treatment will get your joint in motion.
Treatment for Sacroiliac Joint Pain
At The Pain Center, we start with simple treatments. If there is no change after administering the simple treatment, we then escalate to other options.
Medications for Sacroiliac Joint Pain
We start with two medications to treat sacroiliac joint dysfunction; the first medication brings down irritation and swelling, and the second medication controls pain. You have to take your medication as we instruct, even if you begin to feel better. The inflammation may stick when you stop taking your medicine too soon. What it means is that the pain will come back. We suggest you try over-the-counter medications, known as Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). In case the NSAIDs don't work, we will prescribe more potent medications like Naproxen, Ketorolac, and celecoxib.
Physical Therapy for Sacroiliac Joint Pain
Medication reduces the pain and calms your inflamed joint. Physical therapy makes your joints flexible. A physical therapist can teach you how to exercise to build strength and ways to move without feeling hurt. We will also suggest a special belt to stabilize your back.
Injections for Sacroiliac Joint Pain
If you don't get any relief even after using physical therapy and medications, we can try administering a steroid injection into your sacroiliac joint. The drug used numbs the pain and brings down inflammation. The injection takes only 30 minutes. We will provide you with a shot to make the area numb. We'll then proceed to use ultrasound and guide the needle to give you a steroid. You'll feel some numbness in your feet and legs. The numbness usually goes away within 6 hours. Once you have been given the injection, you have to rest for 24 hours. The steroid injection begins to work in 3 to 7 days. However, there are side effects such as:
- Trouble sleeping
- Warm, red skin
- Anxiety
- Change in period for women
- High blood sugar for people with diabetes
- Bloating
These side effects usually clear in a few days. You'll have to go back for another injection after 2 to 4 months.
Peripheral Nerve Stimulation for Sacroiliac Joint Pain
Peripheral nerve stimulation is commonly known as PNS. It is an approach used in treating chronic pain used when other therapies fail. The treatment involves surgery where we place a small electrical device on one of your peripheral nerves. The procedure is minimally invasive.
You are a candidate for PNS when you experience:
- Chronic headaches
- Complex regional pain syndrome
- Nerve injury
- Nerve entrapments
- Occipital neuralgia
You'll be awake during the stimulation surgery. When you are awake, we can test electrodes to ensure they are in the right place. We use a local anesthetic and perform PNS in two stages as follows:
Stage 1: We use X-ray guidance and place the electrode on the pain spot. We have to test the device to know if it is in the correct place. You'll try it for about a week to make sure it is the right one for you.
Stage 2: After one week, you'll return for the permanent implant. For people who receive the permanent implant, there is a 40 percent success rate.
Make an Appointment At The Pain Center for Sacroiliac Joint Pain
If sacroiliac joint pain is causing you sleepless nights, contact us for a consultation on how we can help treat your pain using peripheral nerve stimulation or steroid injections.