This is a treatment that gives brief relief from back pain, just as a test to see if facet joints are the source of a patient’s back pain. In this case, the injection is inserted into the facet joints, which are situated on each side of the vertebra and associate the vertebra of the back together. The injection works in a way to diminish inflammation in the tissue of the facet joint.
The facet block injection is performed with requiring the patient lying on the abdomen. Preceding the injection, the site of the injection is cleaned and numbed with local anesthetic. The medication is inserted with the help of X-Ray guidance.
Prior to the Facet Block Injection
The patient will be asked to provide information in regards to the ongoing issues, past medical history, and medications. The patient will be guided with complete guidelines on the best way to plan for the coming procedure. It is advisable to carry a recent MRI with you. The patient will likewise be asked to hold any blood thinning medications, for example, Coumadin, Plavix, Aspirin, and any NSAIDS.
After The Facet Block Injection
After the procedure, you may have brief numbness or faintness of your extremities enduring up to 6 hours. In some cases, it might be problematic to walk because of an absence of sensation in your foot. As this decreases, a few patients report expanded inconvenience. This can be linked with disturbance from the steroid and will resolve. You should start to observe relief from pain after 3-7 days of the procedure. However, there is no certainty how much relief from pain you will get. Fruitful outcomes rely upon your diagnosis.
What Purposes Does A Facet Block Injection Serve?
This treatment serves two needs: diagnosis and treatment. On the off chance that the patient gets 50% or more noteworthy relief from pain like 2 hours after the procedure, it can be anticipated the facet joint is a source of the pain in this case, as may occur with joint pain or injury. Once the diagnosis is confirmed with repeat injections, the facet block is then used to diminish pain using corticosteroids.
How Soon Can You Resume Everyday Activities After The Procedure Of Facet Block Injection?
When allowed to go home, you will be advised to rest for 24 hours and avoid driving or operating machinery for 24 hours. A sum of three injections inside a six-month timespan can be performed. In this case, injections must be spaced at least two weeks apart and you should contact the doctor in the middle of injections to get a new prescription for each.