The Interventional Pain Management of Sacroiliac Joint Pain: A Brief Review

Abstract

The sacroiliac joint accounts for approximately 10% to 25% of cases of chronic mechanical low back pain. Some pain provocation sacroiliac joint tests can be used in diagnosing sacroiliac joint pathology. However, none of the provocative sacroiliac tests alone were found to have positive predictive value for diagnosing sacroiliac joint pain. Diagnostic sacroiliac joint injections is considered to be the best diagnostic method. Intra-articular injections, periarticular injections, conventional radiofrequency, pulsed-radiofrequency and cooled-radiofrequency neuromodulations are the interventional pain management methods of sacroiliac joint. The evidence for cooled radiofrequency neurotomy treatment seems to be fair according to the treatment guidelines. The evidence for intraarticular steroid injections, periarticular injections with steroids, pulsed radiofrequency, and conventional radiofrequency neurotomy seem to be limited (or poor) for short-term and long-term pain relief.