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What are Facet Injections and How are They Administered?

May 10, 2012 , , , , , , ,
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The spaces between the vertebrae of the back are facet joints. These are instrumental in allowing movement of the spine as each vertebra moves against the one above or below it. Inflammation due to degenerative disease, injury, or mineral deficiencies can cause a great amount of discomfort to the facet joints. Chronic pain from facet joints is called facet syndrome.

Facet injections relieve the swelling and inflammation and, in most cases, can address the pain associated with it. While most pain is centralized to the spine, some can be projected to other parts of the body, including the arms, legs, and other areas near the backbone.

Who is a Candidate for Facet Injections at Florida pain clinics?

Not everyone with back pain is a candidate for facet injections, but arthritis sufferers or patients with thickened facet joints may benefit from this treatment. It is the most common procedure performed by pain doctors in America because the problem is so common. If X-rays indicate the presence of inflammation and a person is suffering from chronic pain in the back or neck, facet injections are beneficial much of the time.

Traumatic injuries to the back or neck often lead to facet joint pain. Whiplash is one of the more common injuries that cause facet related pain, and truly the most common reason for pain is the wear and tear of degenerative facet arthritis.

Usually, facet injections are not the first form of treatment for spinal injuries. Physical therapy and chiropractic treatments are more apt to be attempted before resorting to the needle.

The Process of Facet Injections

A typical session of facet injections only takes ten to twenty minutes at a pain management Tampa clinic. The medication itself contains steroids and anesthetics and is administered by a needle that goes deep into the tissue. This causes some pain, which is offset by the use of local anesthetics.

Facet Joint Injections

Facet Joint Injections

Patients typically lie on their stomachs while they receive facet injections. This decreases the likelihood that a sudden movement might cause a problem with the treatment and allows for more separation between vertebrae. Neck or cervical facet injections may require patients to be placed in different positions.

The number of facet injections a patient receives is based on the extent of discomfort and how soon the condition causing the pain can be addressed in other ways. These injections are performed by pain management Delray Beach FL clinics and many others around the state.

The Florida Pain Network has pain clinics and doctors around the state to help. The website has geographically targeted listings which show those closest to your zip codes. or you may simply call (877) 877-8556 for assistance.


What to Expect with a Pain Management Medial Branch Block

May 5, 2012 , , , , , , , ,
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The medial branch block is a diagnostic procedure often performed at Florida pain clinics to determine if a specific facet joint is causing a patient’s discomfort. During the injection procedure, the shot is administered to block the nerves that are potentially bringing the pain sensation to the facet joint.

A medial branch block procedure is performed as an outpatient. Patients lay on their stomach on a special table that allows a real-time x-ray called fluoroscopy to work through it. If the metal on the table obstructed the physician’s view, it would be difficult to be accurate with needle placement. A local numbing medication is placed just underneath the skin and through the soft tissues down to the area of the medial branch. Pain clinics in Orlando and others throughout the state often perform this procedure as an outpatient.

At this point the doctor places the needle through the anesthetized track and injects contrast dye so that he or she can see and make sure that the needle is in the appropriate anatomic position. Once this is accomplished, numbing medicine is injected around the nerves to block those pain signals from reaching the brain.

Medial Branch Block

Medial Branch Block

The numbing medicine works within just a few minutes so patients should receive some relief very soon. If no significant relief is achieved, another level may be treated to see if that is the source of the pain. It may be the one level gets partial relief and since the patient may have arthritis in the second level treatment of that may help significant. Sometimes doctors will also inject steroid medication along with the numbing agent, and this can help with prolonged pain relief.

The medial branch block procedure may provide pain relief for simply a few weeks, or there have been studies showing it can provide 3 to 5 months of excellent pain relief.  Once the procedure is completed, patients usually go home within about an hour after spending a little time the recovery room.

If the procedure works and then wears off, often times the next step is a radio frequency ablation procedure which may provide up to two years of pain relief for facet joint related pain.

Patients seeking treatment for neck or back pain may seek relief at one of the pain clinics in Florida listed with the Florida Pain Network such as a pain management Fort Myers clinic or pain management Boca Raton clinic. The listings are geographically targeted so those closest to you will pop up, or simply call (877) 877-8556 for assistance.