A facet joint injection is a minimally invasive procedure used for both diagnostic and therapeutic indications to treat facet joint pain. A facet joint is a small, bony protrusion located in between and behind adjacent vertebrae. Facet joints help with range of motion and are used to stabilize the spine. When conditions such as arthritis and facet joint syndrome are present, they can become painful and inflamed causing severe pain.
Patients may elect to receive light intravenous sedation for anxiety regarding the procedure. Patients are taken to our procedure suite and laid on an operating table. The skin to be treated is cleansed and a local anesthetic is injected near the damaged facet joints to numb the skin and surrounding tissue.
Once fully numb, your physician will inject a mixture of local anesthetic and corticosteroid medication into the targeted facet joints. The needle will then be removed and the patient will be taken to the recovery area.
