Facet joint injections are administered to treat neck pain, back pain, and other chronic pain conditions arising from the facet joints. The facet joints are the connective regions between the bones of the spine, through which nerve roots pass and enter the arms and legs. Facet joint injections deliver anti-inflammatory and numbing medications into the facet joints and surrounding nerves to reduce inflammation caused by arthritis and degeneration. We perform highly personalized facet joint injections to identify and treat the root cause of pain.
How do Facet Joint Injections Work?
The facet joints are the connective joints between the bones of the spine. They facilitate twisting and bending movements, allowing you to perform your daily activities. Arthritis, age-related degeneration, and other such issues can weaken the facet joints, so they don’t allow the vertebrae to glide smoothly against each other, leading to chronic pain in the arms, neck, lower back, or legs. If you’re suffering from chronic back pain or neck pain, we can administer facet joint injections.
Facet joint injections contain anti-inflammatory steroids and, sometimes, a local anesthetic. They can be used for diagnosis and treatment. The pain doctor may inject a small volume of a local anesthetic into the facet joints to provide immediate pain relief, thereby identifying the affected facet joints. After the diagnosis, the pain doctor may inject an anti-inflammatory steroid into the facet joints to reduce inflammation and alleviate pain. This treatment also improves mobility.
The Goals of Facet
Joint Injections
Facet joint injections aim to identify (diagnose) and alleviate (treat) chronic pain arising from the inflammation of facet joints because of arthritis, age-related degeneration, and other problems. The pain doctor first uses a facet injection to identify the affected pain via the administration of a local anesthetic, which only provides temporary relief for an hour. Once the affected facet joint is identified, the pain doctor delivers the anti-inflammatory steroid to reduce facet joint inflammation and alleviate pain.
Benefits of Facet
Joint Injections:
- Non-surgical pain relief
- Diagnoses the inflamed facet joints
- Reduces and alleviates facet joint inflammation
- Provides long-lasting pain relief
- Minimal side effects
- No downtime
Your Facet Joint Injections in Edison
The actual facet joint injection only takes a few minutes, but your entire treatment may take 30 to 60 minutes. The pain doctor will perform a thorough evaluation before the treatment to ensure you’re a suitable candidate. We will review your health history, perform a physical examination, discuss your symptoms, and administer imaging tests to identify the inflamed facet joints. After the diagnosis, we will curate a personalized treatment plan for you.
During the facet joint treatment, you will have to lie face down, face up, or on your side. You may receive a mild sedative to alleviate anxiety. The pain doctor will deliver a local anesthetic near the injection point to numb the skin’s surface, which may involve mild burning sensations. Under fluoroscopic guidance, the pain doctor will inject a contrast dye to identify the inflamed facet joints, following which the anti-inflammatory steroids are administered.
Schedule an Appointment
Edison Spine & Pain Management is a state-of-the-art medical center specializing in cutting-edge pain treatments. Our board-certified physicians and pain specialists always diagnose and treat the root cause of your pain conditions using minimally invasive techniques. We aim to address the root cause of pain to help you lead a pain-free life without relying on opioids. We also avoid surgical treatments and favor minimally invasive procedures that involve minimal disruption to your daily activities. Please schedule an appointment to explore your facet joint injection options in Edison.
