Relieving Pain. Restoring Hope.
Facet Joint Injections
About the treatment
A facet joint injection is a minimally invasive procedure used for both diagnostic and therapeutic indications to treat facet joint pain. A facet joint is a small, bony protrusion located in between and behind adjacent vertebrae. Facet joints help with range of motion and are used to stabilize the spine. When conditions such as arthritis and facet joint syndrome are present, they can become painful and inflamed causing severe pain.
Patients may elect to receive light intravenous sedation for anxiety regarding the procedure. Patients are taken to our procedure suite and laid on an operating table. The skin to be treated is cleansed and a local anesthetic is injected near the damaged facet joints to numb the skin and surrounding tissue.
Once fully numb, your physician will inject a mixture of local anesthetic and corticosteroid medication into the targeted facet joints. The needle will then be removed and the patient will be taken to the recovery area.
After the treatment
Following the procedure patients will be closely monitored by Desert Pain Specialists staff before being discharged home with care instructions. Patients may experience immediate pain relief from the local anesthetic which may last a few hours. If steroid is used, more long-term pain relief can take up to two weeks to take full effect. Common side effects may include nausea, dizziness, or pain at the procedure site however most side effects resolve within a few days. Patients should call their physician immediately if any of these complications arise.
Treatment
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