Do you or someone you know suffer from low back pain? Have you had an MRI that has not shown any abnormalities? You may be suffering from pain originating from the sacroiliac joint. It is estimated that “10% to 27% of suspected cases with chronic low back pain”, (1) is originating from the sacroiliac joint. The sacroiliac joints are located at the bottom of the back. You have one on either side of the spine. This joint connects the sacrum (bone at the bottom of the spine) to the pelvis (iliac bone).


Pain in this joint may be caused from several things such as:

Most patients with this problem will complain of pain in the lower back that may or may not radiate down the leg and/or in to the groin area. Sitting and standing for long periods of time may aggravate the pain.

If you have any of these symptoms don’t worry Kanuru Interventional Spine and Pain Institute may be able to help! There are several treatment options for pain in the sacroiliac joint. These include physical therapy, anti-inflammatories, injections, and/or radiofrequency ablation of the joint.

During an injection of the sacroiliac joint, you will be connected to monitoring equipment (EKG monitor, blood pressure cuff, and a blood-oxygen monitoring device), and positioned on your stomach. The nurse will start an intravenous line and give some medicine to help you relax. We like to call this “champagne”. Your back is cleansed with an antiseptic soap after which the doctor injects numbing medicine deep into your skin and tissue. After the numbing medicine takes effect, the doctor will insert another needle and, with the assistance of a special X-ray machine called a fluoroscope, inject a radiopaque dye (contrast solution) to ensure the needle is in proper position. With the needle in position, a small mixture of numbing medicine (anesthetic) and anti-inflammatory medicine (steroid) is injected. Following the procedure we will monitor your vital signs and then allow you to get dressed and walk around.

If an injection in the sacroiliac joint does not completely take your pain away there is another treatment option available. This procedure is called a radiofrequency ablation. After a diagnostic injection has confirmed that the pain is coming from the SI joint, the small nerves that provide sensation to the joint can be heated up or "burned" with a special needle called a radiofrequency probe. This destroys the sensations coming from the joint, decreasing or eliminating pain. This procedure is temporary but can last from 6 months to two years and may be repeated if necessary.

In one study were 14 patients underwent a radiofrequency ablation of the sacroiliac joint, 64% of the patients experienced 60% consistent subjective relief and greater than 50% reduction in their pain score. 34% of these patients experienced complete relief. (2)

In conclusion, both a sacroiliac joint injection and/or radiofrequency ablation of the sacroiliac joint are two procedures that may provide excellent pain relief. If you would like more information please feel free to contact me,
Megan Colburn, RN, NP-C, at 219-838-1100.

Last update August 2008