Frequently Asked Questions About Facet Injections For Pain Management
David Greene | January 9, 2012Exactly what is an injection into a facet joint?
A facet injection for pain management is a procedure where steroid medication is injected into the small little joints along the spinal column that are causing patient’s discomfort. A facet joint is about the size of a thumbnail and there is one on each side of the spinal column at every level of the spine.
What is the purpose of injection into a facet joint?
Arthritis is one of the biggest problems in this country that generates pain in patients, and the facet joints are not unique. They experience arthritis as people age or after a traumatic situation, and if a person has arthritis at one facet joint they typically will have it in multiple.
If a patient has facet joint arthritis, surgery is not the best idea since there is no procedure which effectively replaces the facet joint and replicates its native motion. Therefore, a facet injection may give patients substantial symptomatic relief similar to an injection into the knee, hip, or shoulder.
How long does a facet injection take?
Typically when a person is getting a facet joint injection they are receiving it into more than one arthritic joint. Each joint may only take a few minutes to inject, but when you add up the multiple joints being injected the procedure may take about half an hour.
What exactly is being injected with a facet injection?
When the facet injection is performed the pain doctor will often include a numbing medication such as lidocaine or Marcaine along with the steroid. There are numerous types of steroids that the specialist will use and typically it’s due to their personal preference. Options include Celestone, triamcinolone, or methylprednisolone.
Does a facet injection hurt?
A needle is stuck through the skin to do a facet joint injection. So that does hurt a bit, however doctor will typically put in some numbing medicine subcutaneously as well as in the soft tissue tract down to the joint for pain relief. Therefore the injection should not be too painful. Patients may also receive sedation intravenously for the procedure which may make them amnestic to the whole thing.
Is anesthesia necessary for a facet injection?
Typically individuals do not need IV sedation for facet block. However if the patient is dealing with claustrophobia or anxiety issues, it may be a good idea. A good middle-of-the-road idea is for the patient to be given a Valium 30 minutes before the procedure and that may be enough for the patient.
How’s the injection performed?
Mostly, individuals are positioned prone for the procedure which means their abdomen is down. Usually a fluoroscopy machine is utilized for assistance and this is basically a real-time x-ray machine.
The area overlying the injection is sterilized and typically vital signs were monitored during the procedure especially if IV sedation is used. After the procedure, the patient is watched for a time. Then they are allowed to go home and usually the patient will need a ride to get home.
Can patients go back to work the next day?
Most people are able to return to work the day after the injection. If sedation was not utilized, the individual could actually go right back to work if desired.
How long will the pain relief last after a facet injection?
Facet joint pain relief after the injection is going to be variable. Made his last a few days or match of the a few months of pain relief. There is not a definitive predictive factor that we know of to know how long the going to last.
Can a procedure be repeated if the pain relief wears off?
The answer is yes. If the pain relief wears off after a few months and comes back injection can be repeated. Individual may benefit from a radiofrequency ablation in that case which can provide pain relief for over a year.
Want to find out more about pain management doctors in Arizona, then visit Preferred Pain Center’s site on how to choose the best chiropractors mesa AZ for your needs.













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