SI joint injections. Has anyone had them?

Oldblueone

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I am scheduled to have injections into both my Sacroiliac joints on Nov. 10th. The injections are supposed to reduce the pain in my lower back. Has anyone had this procedure? Did it work? If so, how long did it last?
 

Ahnan E. Muss

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Sacroiliitis sometimes results from pregnancy. Congrats!

What kind of injections are you getting? The Paddock resident experts can't give you medical advice without first knowing more information.
 
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FargenBastich

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I've had several. They work at first and then your body will likely get used to them and they may not work at all. Exercise and massage seem to help me more now. Good luck because back pain sucks.
 
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FargenBastich

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Thanks. It's no relaxation massage though. Very painful but worth it even though there is no happy ending.
 

The-Hack

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I’m sure the OP has heard of Glucosamine, but if not, this over-the-counter, cheap, supplement has proven beneficial to millions of people, and has studies backing the results.
 

Ahnan E. Muss

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I’m sure the OP has heard of Glucosamine, but if not, this over-the-counter, cheap, supplement has proven beneficial to millions of people, and has studies backing the results.

Err, uhm, link to study showing glucosamine helps with sacroiliitis?

Despite the millions of claims by users, the biggest studies to date have questioned whether it does anything beneficial at all.
 

The-Hack

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I’ll have to post at least twice to get link and language.


“Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness and safety of glucosamine, chondroitin, the two in combination, or celecoxib in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis (OA). PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library were searched through from inception to February 2015. A total of 54 studies covering 16427 patients were included. Glucosamine plus chondroitin, glucosamine alone, and celecoxib were all more effective than placebo in pain relief and function improvement. Specifically, celecoxib is most likely to be the best treatment option, followed by the combination group. All treatment options showed clinically significant improvement from baseline pain, but only glucosamine plus chondroitin showed clinically significant improvement from baseline function. In terms of the structure-modifying effect, both glucosamine alone and chondroitin alone achieved a statistically significant reduction in joint space narrowing.”

* * * *
“Glucosamine plus chondroitin was the only treatment option meeting the pre-specified criteria for clinically significant improvement of function (Appendix 5).”

As to “sacroiliitis,” my only familiarity is from being a frequent sufferer in my early middle age, but no bouts in 15 years with the supplement.
 
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Ahnan E. Muss

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From the link YOU provided:

What do we know about the effectiveness of glucosamine and chondroitin supplements?

  • Research results suggest that chondroitin isn’t helpful for pain from osteoarthritis of the knee or hip.
  • It’s unclear whether glucosamine helps with osteoarthritis knee pain or whether either supplement lessens osteoarthritis pain in other joints.
 

Ahnan E. Muss

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As I alluded to previously, there are lots of studies (of varying quality and from a variety of funding sources) that show conflicting results - some showing mild to modest benefits, others showing no benefit or even possibility of harm.
 

The-Hack

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Why the apparent discrepancy from the very positive quotes I provided and the doubtful ones you quoted . . . the quotes I provided were for the combination of glucosamine/Chondroitin and the quotes you provided are limited to studies of each of them.

“Glucosamine plus chondroitin was the only treatment option meeting the pre-specified criteria for clinically significant improvement of function (Appendix 5).”

About all I buy is G/C, combined.
 

Ahnan E. Muss

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What's more, these studies are all gauging benefit in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee and/or hip.

Sacroiliitis isn't necessarily osteoarthritis, and there doesn't appear to be any data on use of glucosamine and/or chondroitin in sacroiliitis.
 

The-Hack

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Nope. Read again.

I quoted and highlighted it.

Studying the three substances, the portion you quote is as to each w/o reference to the other, and the portion I quoted for positive effect said one plus the other is effective.
 

The-Hack

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The most notable side-effect I noticed 20 years ago was a significant thickening of toe and finger nails . . . at least doubling their toughness.

After years of experiencing that unintended effect, I googled it and found others have had the same experience.
 

Ahnan E. Muss

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Of course you will. You've admitted to taking it for 20 years, so you're emotionally invested.

This isn't (or shouldn't be) about cherry-picking studies and saying "my study is better than yours." Anybody who reviews the multitudes of conflicting studies has to acknowledge that it's not clear whether or not there's benefit - in osteoarthritis.

And there apparently aren't any studies you can point to showing benefit in sacroiliitis.
 
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The-Hack

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And there apparently aren't any studies you can point to showing benefit in sacroiliitis.

Actually, I haven’t looked. But as to emotional investment, verses observation and reasoning, I understand the need for studies that confirm reality: but I was reasonably convinced in February, that Covid was spread aerially. It took the CDC until July to admit it.

And to be honest, I do not trust the medical profession, or big pharma, wholly.

I’m surprised by the number of thirty-something’s I meet who are scheduled for surgery or on a concoction of expensive drugs that have never heard of G/C. The vast majority of those I meet in this condition are poor, white, dependent entirely upon government programs, and strangely dependent on a whole lot of (legal) things.

At a minimum, it’s worth a shot.

I bought a bottle of it for a local young woman (29), who complained to me that her meds for joint pain cost more than a thousand a month. She’s a “sales clerk” off the grid in a small country store. I nearly actually asked her how she could afford the meds.
 
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BlueRaider22

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Here's the thing about injections. What is the cause of the pain?

If it caused by some structures that are tight.....some that are weak......poor behavior or mechanics, etc......then injections (depending on the type of injection) might help for a short period of time.
 

wildcatdon

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I have had the back injections and the first one lasted a month. Second one lasted two weeks and I didn’t do the third one. They are just bandaids. I went ahead and had surgery for spinal stenosis and two years later had to have a fusion. Pain was just too much and affected every part of my life. Good luck.
 
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Rebelfreedomeagle

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Glucosamine chondroitin + MSM didn't help my knees. So far, the only thing that has helped has been an injection of stainless steel and plastic. My ankle gets a semiannual injection of a steroid cocktail that works pretty well, but the pain of the injection is bad. Really really bad. Like, I would rather have 10 knee injections than that one in the ankle.
Good luck with the back. FIL got a lot of relief with those shots.
 

blubo

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I am scheduled to have injections into both my Sacroiliac joints on Nov. 10th. The injections are supposed to reduce the pain in my lower back. Has anyone had this procedure? Did it work? If so, how long did it last?
I’ve had both steriod injections and radiofrequency procedures on my lower back. both gave relief although the rf usually lasted longer—both are only a temorary pain reliever—not a cure. after a total hip replacement i haven’t needed the back treatments.
 
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Oldblueone

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I finally got the SI injections. Unfortunately it did not help at all. I’m supposed to have another round on March 24. The doctor said if that doesn’t help, surgery will be needed. It’s bad that Anthem Blue Cross won’t pay for the surgery.
 
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I missed this thread originally. I had the steroid injections in my spine (felt like an elephant was standing on my back as they injected it) and they helped for about a month of doing relatively nothing strenuous. As soon as I got back to work and doing my normal daily routine, my back went right back to the way it was.

This ended up eventually being my only fix for the severe nerve pain (after having a discectomy that only temporarily helped).


While I don't have the severe nerve pain like I did, my back is pretty much shot (also have a fusion in my neck). I was out of options with degenerative disc disease in my lower back. It's only a matter of time before I have to have more work done. Been having pain going from my back, around my left side, and down part of the front of my left leg off and on for about a year. So no telling what's next.
 

BlueRaider22

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I missed this thread originally. I had the steroid injections in my spine (felt like an elephant was standing on my back as they injected it) and they helped for about a month of doing relatively nothing strenuous. As soon as I got back to work and doing my normal daily routine, my back went right back to the way it was.

This ended up eventually being my only fix for the severe nerve pain (after having a discectomy that only temporarily helped).


While I don't have the severe nerve pain like I did, my back is pretty much shot (also have a fusion in my neck). I was out of options with degenerative disc disease in my lower back. It's only a matter of time before I have to have more work done. Been having pain going from my back, around my left side, and down part of the front of my left leg off and on for about a year. So no telling what's next.

Good surgeons are like carpenters.....”measure twice, cut once.” Generally it’s better to do little because you can do more later.

With fusions, it is usually the level above and/or below that goes next.
 
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They can't go to much lower fortunately. Hopefully the lower back work doesn't eventually meet up with the neck fusion or you might just have to make me into a cyborg.
 

PowerK

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My father had the cartilage removed completely from one knee and half from another after an accident in the military. He swears by glucosamine. My whole child hood every single doctor told him his damage was irreparable. After years of terrible pain from any shock whatsoever dad started glucosaminechondroitin

I noticed it before he did but after a few years he was starting to be more and more active without his knees swelling up like a volley ball each time. It has been 20 years now and his cartilage has actually regenerated. 5 years ago his doctor couldn’t believe what he was looking at and had dad scanned and additional time to make sure.

During this time his degenerative arthritis has also stopped progressing. Dad couldn’t be real active my first 20 years, but the last 15 he has been doing a lot of things impossible before.