Treatment Options:
Facet Joint Injections
What is a Facet Joint Injection?
A facet joint injection procedure is pretty simple. It can be performed in an office or a surgical center. In order to get the best results from facet joint injections, it is best to use a live x-ray machine to properly guide the needle as well as prevent unintended nerve damage or injury. Most of our clients have the procedure performed without needing sedation. However, if you feel nervous about the procedure or about needles, an IV line may be used to give you relaxing medication.
When the procedure starts, you will lay face down on a table. The medical professionals will thoroughly cleanse the skin around the area that is going to be treated. Then a mild numbing medicine is applied. For the first few seconds you might feel a slight sting, but it will quickly subside.
Then the doctor is going to use the live x-ray machine to guide them as they inject the small needle into the facet joint.
Once they are in the general vicinity, the doctor will inject a little contrast dye. This allows them to confirm that the needle is in the joint and that the medication is being delivered to the right location.
Once this has been confirmed, the doctor will inject a small amount of anesthetic and anti-inflammatory medication into the joint in a slow and controlled way.
While the actual injections just take a couple of minutes, you should expect the entire procedure to take around 30 minutes.