The Facet Joint connects the posterior elements of the spine and is prone
to degenerative changes. The facet joint carries up to 1/3 of the loading
force of the lumbar spine. Osteoarthritis of the joints leads to cartilage
fissures, fraying and erosions. Hereotopic Growth (bony spurs) leads to
instability and inflammation. Degeneration of the Facet Joints account
for approximately 10-15% of the cases with chronic low back pain.1
Symptoms of Facet Joint Pain Include:
Constant aching
Dull or sharp pain
Pain worsens with movement
Localized pain, but can refer pain to the hip or buttock area
The common types of nonsurgical treatments for facet joint pain are:
Lumbar Facet Block is procedure where medicine is injected directly into the joint.
Cervical FacetBlock is procedure where medicine is injected into the cervical facet joint.
Medial Branch Block is a procedure where the facet joints are "innervated" by sensory
nerves that come off the posterior aspect of the corresponding spinal
nerve. These small sensory nerves "dorsal ramus medial branches form
a lattice work sensation of the facet joints. Local anesthetic block of
the Medial Branch Block can temporarily interrupt the pain signal carried
to a specific facet joint.
Reference
1. Pope JE, Cheng J. Facet (Zygapophyseal) Intraarticular Joint Injections:
Cervical, Lumbar, and Thoracic. Injections for Back Pain. 129-135. ClinicalKey.com.
Accessed July 16, 2019.
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Related Testimonials
Interventional Procedure"Dr. Safman is caring and communicates well. The discomfort from the spinal injection is very minor. She makes it an easy procedure."Provider: Kimberly Safman MD
Spinal Injections Epidural/Facet"Your daily concern with my condition is appreciated."Provider: Balaji (Bobby) S Charlu MD
Spinal Injections Epidural/Facet"Dr and his team always listen and remember me and my various problems ...I don't feel like a stranger"Provider: Balaji (Bobby) S Charlu MD
Spinal Injections Epidural/Facet"Just explaining what he was doing during the procedure made it very easy."Provider: Balaji (Bobby) S Charlu MD
Spinal Injections Epidural/Facet"Dr. Charlu, Darren & the office staff were competent and sensitive to my questions and my care."Provider: Balaji (Bobby) S Charlu MD
Spinal Injections Epidural/Facet"Very friendly and comforting during the procedure. Great experience in what could be a stressful environment."Provider: Balaji (Bobby) S Charlu MD
Spinal Injections Epidural/Facet"They made me feel comfortable when I had my injection"Provider: Balaji (Bobby) S Charlu MD
Spinal Injections Epidural/Facet"Very personable and like how they find solutions other than surgery. Entire staffing team has been great!"Provider: Balaji (Bobby) S Charlu MD
Spinal Injections Epidural/Facet"Everyone was so nice. it helped calm my anxiety about the procedure. Also, once I arrived all went smoothly and no wait time."Provider: Balaji (Bobby) S Charlu MD
Spinal Injections Epidural/Facet"Obviously very knowledgable and fully explained the procedure."Provider: Kimberly Safman MD
Spinal Injections Epidural/Facet"I like Dr Charlu. He really cares about his patients and tries to make us comfortable at time of injections."Provider: Balaji (Bobby) S Charlu MD
Spinal Injections Epidural/Facet"Every one was polite and service timely and so was follow up."Provider: Balaji (Bobby) S Charlu MD
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