To alleviate back and neck pain, a facet joint injection may be used to diagnose a facet joint issue and to treat it further for effective pain management. The spinal specialists at Azalea Orthopedics will work with you to determine what is the best course of action for your back pain and facet joints. The facet joints are the overlapping of bone from one vertebra to the next, which give the spine the ability to bend and twist. If a patient is experiencing pain in one or bone facet joints, their spinal mobility can be compromised and simple movements may be extremely painful.

What is a Facet Joint Injection?

Within each facet joint is a medial branch nerve pathway that sends signals to the brain. These nerves could be the source of your spinal, back, and neck pain. To alleviate this pain and even eliminate it, a facet joint injection can be done. The procedure utilizes needles and fluoroscopy (a special X-ray) to correctly place the needle in the facet joint. To confirm the placement of the needle in the facet joint, a contrast is used to allow the orthopedic physician to see clearly. Then, a mixture of steroids and two anesthetics are injected into the facet joint. The entire procedure will only take about 20-40 minutes.

Facet Joint Injection Expectations

Once the orthopedic procedure is completed, the physician will ask the patient to rest and then do a few specific movements and rate the pain in their spine and back. If the pain is greatly reduced, the site of the facet joint injection was the cause of pain and this procedure can be used for future pain management.

After the procedure, Azalea Orthopedics will instruct the following:

• Rest for the remainder of the day.
• Have a friend or family member drive you home from the procedure.
• Keep a pain diary to detail your daily pain based on particular movements or activities.
• Limit pain medication for 4-6 hours after the procedure to truly gauge your pain reduction.
• Apply ice to the injection site as needed for inflammation and pain.

Contact Azalea Orthopedics for Facet Joint Injections Today!

If you are suffering with spinal, back, or neck pain, a facet joint injection may alleviate or eliminate this pain. Contact Azalea Orthopedics to meet with our orthopedic physicians and discuss your pain management options. Request an appointment online today! We look forward to hearing from you soon.