Multisociety multispecialty consensus recommendations on corticosteroid injections for facet joint and sacroiliac joint pain

Honorio T. Benzon, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
Tina L. Doshi, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, MD
Tim Maus, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
John FitzGerald, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA
Thanh D. Hoang, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD
Hariharan Shankar, Clement J Zablocki VA Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI
Maged Mina, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX
Andrea Chadwick, The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS
Maxim S. Eckmann, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX
Dalia Elmofty, University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL
Christine Hunt, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
Ameet Nagpal, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
Ariana M. Nelson, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA
Carlos Pino, Naval Medical Center San Diego, San Diego, CA
Maunak Rana, University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL
Jessica Rivera, LSU Health Sciences Center - New OrleansFollow
Byron Schneider, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
Dmitri Souza, Western Reserve Hospital Partners, Cuyahoga Falls, OH
Alison Stout, Cleveland Clinic Neurological Institute, Cleveland, OH
Harsha Shanthanna, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Samer Narouze, University Hospitals of Cleveland, Cleveland, OH
Ajay D. Wasan, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
David Anthony Provenzano, Pain Diagnostics and Interventional Care, Sewickley, PA
Steven Paul Cohen, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-22-2026

Publication Title

Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine

Abstract

Background: Corticosteroid injections (CSIs) are widely employed in facet and sacroiliac joint pain. Similar to CSIs at other sites (peripheral nerve blocks, joints, epidural), these injections are associated with potential adverse events. These multisociety consensus recommendations aim to develop evidence-based statements and recommendations on the safe use of CSIs in facet joint and sacroiliac joint injections. Methods: Development of the consensus recommendations was approved by the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine Board of Directors and several other societies that agreed to participate. The scope of statements and recommendations was agreed on to include safety of the injection technique (landmark-guided, ultrasound, or radiology-aided injections); effect of the addition of the corticosteroid on effectiveness (vs local anesthetic or saline); and adverse events related to the injection. Experts were assigned topics to perform a comprehensive literature review and draft statements and recommendations, which were refined and voted for consensus ( > 75% agreement) using a modified Delphi process. A modified version of the US Preventive Services Task Force grading of evidence and strength of recommendation was followed. Results: All statements and recommendations were approved by all participants after four rounds of discussion. The Practice Guidelines Committees and Boards of Directors of the participating societies also approved all statements and recommendations. Injection of corticosteroid into the facet joint in patients with joint inflammation may relieve pain and improves function. Intra-articular, extra-articular (periarticular), and combined administration are effective for sacroiliac joint injections. No dose-response studies exist, but CSIs containing 10 mg of methylprednisolone or triamcinolone per facet joint and 40 mg per sacroiliac joint (SIJ) (or their respective pharmacologic equivalents) are reasonable. Conclusions: In this practice recommendation, we provide statements and recommendations on facet and sacroiliac joint CSIs, the optimal doses, and intervals and criteria for repeating the CSIs in patients with facet joint and sacroiliac joint pain.

First Page

1

Last Page

17

PubMed ID

41571428

Rights

© American Society of Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine 2026

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS