Can You Receive SI Joint Injections While Pregnant?

Category: Spine | Author: Stefano Sinicropi

Ultrasound Guided Spinal Injections

Your body undergoes a number of changes throughout your pregnancy, and these physical changes can put additional stress on certain parts of your body. One area that is forced to handle additional strain during your pregnancy is the sacroiliac joint. Your sacroiliac joints are located where your spine meets your pelvis, and you have one SI joint on either side of your spine.

As your body progresses through your pregnancy, it releases a hormone that helps to loosen the soft connective tissues to help make room for your growing fetus and prepare for the changes that will occur during childbirth. This hormone ends up loosening muscles and ligaments in your body, which in turn can lead to joint instability. One of the most common areas for this instability to develop is in your SI joints.

So not only are your sacroiliac joints under more stress when you’re pregnant, they also have less support from connective tissues as a result of the hormonal changes you’re experiencing. It should come as no surprise that SI joint dysfunction and related issues are some of the most common complaints from expecting mothers, and while a joint injection can be a very effective method for treating sacroiliac joint issues, can they be administered to expecting mothers? We tackle that question and more in today’s blog.

SI Joint Injections While Pregnant

SI Joint injections work by releasing a concentrated corticosteroid directly into the area of irritation, helping to calm inflammation and reduce pain sensations. In many instances, this injection is delivered using a technique known as a fluoroscopy, which uses a live x-ray so that the provider can see the exact positioning of the needle in order to deliver it to the correct location.

As you might imagine, it’s typically not advised to expose the expecting mother and their developing child to this type of radiation in their current state, so fluoroscopy delivered SI joint injections are usually not advised. However, that doesn’t mean that you’re out of luck. Aside from trying other treatment techniques like rest, stretching, posture improvements and physical therapy, a spine specialist may be able to administer an injection with the help of a tool you may already be familiar with if you’re pregnant – ultrasound technology.

An ultrasound-guided injection can allow the doctor to visualize the area and deliver an injection to a specific area without exposing mother and developing child to radiation during the pregnancy. Many providers will ask you to attempt weeks of other methods before progressing with an ultrasound-guided injection, but if you simply cannot find relief with these other conservative methods, know that an ultrasound-guided injection may be an option for you.

And if you need help dealing with any other spine-related issues that develop during the course of your pregnancy, please don’t hesitate to reach out! For more information about treating back problems or SI joint dysfunction while pregnant, reach out to Dr. Sinicropi and the team at The Midwest Spine & Brain Institute today at (651) 430-3800.

Comments are closed.

Make an Appointment