How do I Know if I Need Facet Joint Injections?

What is a Facet Block?

Facet joints are joints located in the spine that allow you to bend, turn, and twist. If one of these joints is damaged or irritated, discomfort and pain are the common results.

Facet joint injections are small injections that alleviate discomfort experienced from the facet joint.

What are the Common Symptoms of Facet Syndrome?

Inflammation within the bursa can result in:

  • Chronic or acute pain caused by movement
  • Trouble bending the spine or twisting
  • Dull aches throughout the lower back and down to the buttocks
  • Intense pain in the back of the skull, neck, and shoulders

Most Common Causes of Facet Joint Pain

Facet joint pain is usually caused by the degeneration of soft tissues in and around the facet joint. The older you get, the cartilage in your facet joints can become inflamed and break down. Pain signals are triggered along nerve paths that branch out throughout the body.

Additional causes of facet joint pain are:

  • Injury
  • Overweight
  • Poor posture
Am I a Candidate for Facet Injections?

What are Facet Joint Injections?

Facet joint injections are a common, effective method used to alleviate inflammation and pain caused by facet joints. It’s a minimally invasive treatment where the injection of steroid medication is released to the facet joint.

Facet joint injections are often used as a therapeutic and diagnostic tool to confirm that facet syndrome is caused by back pain. The medicine in the injection alleviates both the inflammation and pain in the affected joints.

Facet joint injections are often used when other treatments don’t aid in easing neck or back pain. If you’ve tried other methods to relieve facet joint pain and had no success, facet block injections may be the right treatment option for you.