Treatment Options - Facet Joint Injections

Facet Joint Injections

Facet joint injections are used to treat low back pain triggered by problems with the facet joints.

Facet joints are the small joints joining the vertebrae together, and these joints allow the spine to move with flexibility. Located in pairs on each side of the spine, facet joints provide stability and guide motion in the neck and back.

The cartilage degeneration that occurs with aging may cause pain, as can twisting injuries that damage one or both facet joints.

When used diagnostically, a facet joint injection helps to diagnose problems caused by the facet joints. Joints appearing abnormal on an X-ray may be painless, while joints appearing normal may actually be a source of pain. Pain that dissipates after the injection indicates that the facet joint receiving the injection is the source of the pain.

Also a low-risk treatment procedure, facet joint injections can be used therapeutically to numb the source of pain and decrease inflammation that may be occurring due to arthritis or joint degeneration. During a facet block procedure, physicians use fluoroscopy, which projects real-time X-rays onto a TV screen to guide the needle into the facet joint capsule to inject a numbing agent and/or a steroid to reduce inflammation.