What are facet joints?
These are joints present on both sides of your vertebrae, allowing rotational movement of the spine and giving it stability. With wear and tear they can become painful.
What are Facet Injections?
These are injections of local anesthetic and sometimes with steroids performed to provide temporary relief of pain and to confirm the diagnosis. They are performed with X-ray guidance to direct the needle placement during which a small amount of local anesthetic is injected into the joints. The relief obtained from these injected may last for days/weeks or months.
If the relief is confirmed after a series of 2 injections, then the patient can be referred or radio frequency treatment of the facet nerves for more long lasting pain relief.