Every patient is different and each diagnostic process will be unique. Your care team may use a combination of techniques to determine your diagnosis.
During your first office visit, your healthcare provider will spend time with you and learn about your symptoms and overall health. They will:
- Conduct a physical exam
- Discuss your medical history and your current health conditions
- Listen to your heart and lungs with a stethoscope
- Check your blood pressure, heart rate and oxygen level
If your provider suspects that an infection is causing SI joint pain, they may use blood tests to determine the source of the infection.
Blood tests use a small sample of blood to help doctors examine levels of red and white blood cells, enzymes and nutrients in your blood. These tests can provide information about ongoing conditions such as anemia and diabetes, and events such as heart attacks.
A CT, or computed tomography, scan is a type of image created from multiple X-ray images taken by a scanner that rotates around your body. These X-rays are combined by a computer to show organs and soft tissues. A CT scan can help identify conditions such as bleeding, infections and tumors.
An MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, scan is a type of noninvasive image created using magnets to create a radiofrequency current that passes through your body and produces images of soft tissues. Using MRI, doctors can see abnormalities such as aneurysms and muscle or ligament injuries. MRI does not expose you to radiation.
An X-ray is a type of image created with electromagnetic radiation that passes through your body. These waves capture images of bones, organs and tissues to help diagnose abnormalities or injuries.
Your provider may also perform a “diagnostic injection” to help determine if you are having sacroiliac joint pain.
As you lie on your stomach, the doctor will use fluoroscopy, CT, MRI or ultrasound to locate a specific area in the SI joint. After numbing the skin, a needle is passed into the joint space where more numbing medication is injected.
If pain improves after the injection and returns after the medicine wears off, SI joint dysfunction is confirmed. A diagnosis can also be confirmed if, after getting the injection, you experience 80% pain relief when performing activities that would normally cause pain.