The new talk of the physicians: they are prescribing Facet joint injections for either therapeutic or diagnostic rationales. Besides this, it is also identified as a facet blocks which are highly accurate outpatient procedures. This can provide instant response to the physician which helps in the confirmation of that specific facet joint which is responsible for causing pain in patient’s neck or back. Furthermore, a facet block promises to provide noteworthy pain diminution with no to minimum risks and downtime typically associated with spine surgery.
Facet joint condition is an arthritis-like circumstance that can be a source of severe pain in the back of the spine and neck. It is caused by degenerative changes to the joints between the spine bones. The cartilage inside the facet joint can shatter down and become inflamed, triggering painful sensation in nearby nerve endings. Medication, physical therapy, joint injections, nerve blocks, and nerve ablations may be used to administer symptoms. Chronic symptoms may require surgery to fuse the joint.
A diagnostic facet joint injection is frequently carried out to substantiate the root cause of the pain. When carrying out a facet block, the general practitioner introduces a small needle into a facet joint that is assumed to be damaged or inflamed. Occasionally, fluoroscopic (X-ray) supervision is used for improved precision. The physician then injects a mixture of a local anesthetic and time-release steroid medication to numb the joint, reduce inflammation and block pain.
Facet joint injections usually involve the following steps:
- The patient lies face down on a procedure table in a physician’s office or fluoroscopy suite.
- The skin at the injection site is carefully cleansed.
- The physician applies a numbing agent to the injection site.
- The physician guides a small needle into the targeted facet joint.
- The physician injects a small amount of contrast dye to confirm that the needle is correctly positioned and the medication is contained within the joint.
- Following this confirmation, the physician slowly injects a mixture of anesthetic and anti-inflammatory medications.
If you have neck or back pain and would like to learn more about facet joint injections, you are encouraged to explore your treatment options with the expert physician, Dr. Zaki Anwar. . He is a world renowned Pain Medicine Physician. Dr Zaki has been practicing ways to cure pain leading to serious problems for the past several years and has achieved remarkable results. Feel free to call our office at 815-464-7212.