What Are The Purpose of Facet Joint Injections

Facet joints refer to the small joints in your spine. They are responsible for seamless bending, twisting, and turning of your body. As they enable the spine to work efficiently, they are subject to irritation, arthritis, inflammation, as well as wear and tear changes over time.

When this occurs, specialists will start you off on medications. They will also administer conventional treatments such as cold or heat physiotherapy. In most cases, many patients respond well to this type of treatment. Yet, in other patients, the condition persists. This is where facet joint injections come in.

How to Administer Them

Experts usually administer facet joint injections in two stages. While this is not absolute, these two injections are normally considered as the standard facet joint injections.

First Administration

The first one is administered as a confirmation of the diagnosis, verifying if the facet joint is the root cause of the pain. More so, it is also effective in taking away the pain. During the procedure, the expert will inject a tiny needle with medication into the nerve closest to the joint causing the pain.

According to experts, the common medications used during the procedure are steroid medications (such as cortisone, known for strong anti-inflammatory properties) and numbing medication (such as lidocaine). After this long-lasting pain relief, physical therapy usually follows.

Second Administration

Depending on the results of the first procedure, a second injection that gives longer-lasting effects might be viable. It temporarily disconnects the nerve that innervates the joint, resulting in pain. For one to two years, the nerve slowly grows back in a pain-free way.

What Happens During Facet Joint Injections?

Visiting your doctor for a review of the procedure’s benefits, risks, and alternatives as they relate to you
Checking in on the day of the surgery. You may receive a local anesthetic, although general sedation is optimal in some cases
Preferably, you will lie down on your stomach as they clean and numb the area to receive the injection. The doctor will do this using a topical numbing agent
Using fluoroscopy, your doctor inserts the needle to ensure proper placement
Guided by a fluoroscopic dye, the doctor will inject a steroid and an anesthetic into the facet joint. The anesthetic will numb the pain as the steroid alleviates irritation and inflammation
After the administration, the combination of the anesthesia and the steroid medicine will spread even to the spine. This will alleviate irritation and inflammation
After this, the removal of the needle and appropriate dressing in the injected area follows

Care After the Procedure

Your doctor will assess your pain level immediately. They will do this about 15 to 20 minutes after getting the facet joint injections. You will be under observation for about 20 minutes for signs of any complications. Though you can go home after the procedure, it is advisable to have a pain assessment for the next two weeks.

For more on facet joint injections for physical therapy, contact Alicja Steiner, MD, at our office in San Diego, California. You can call us at (619) 304-1539 today to schedule an appointment.