Facet injections are a common treatment for patients with back pain that manifests in the facet joints, the joints that connect two vertebrae and allow the spine to perform bending and twisting motions.
Facet injections are often used to temporarily relieve a patient’s facet joint pain so that he or she can more easily withstand the physical therapy necessary to help rehabilitate the spine. During a facet injection, a physician begins by treating the skin over the affected facet joint with a numbing medication, which allows the facet injection to be as painless as possible.
Facet injections can be given for back pain in any region of the spine where the patient is showing signs of facet joint degeneration, including in the:
Facet injections are not only used for back pain treatment — they can also help a physician diagnose a patient’s spine condition. There are a number of spine conditions that can cause pain, stiffness and limited range of motion, so arriving at a diagnosis may prove difficult. If a physician suspects a facet joint is the cause of a patient’s symptoms, however, he or she may administer a facet joint injection. If the patient experiences relief after the injection is given, it is probable that the physician has identified the source of the patient’s discomfort.
