What is it about?

A facet nerve block is helpful in both diagnosis and treatment of pain at the facet joints. At each level in the spine there are a pair of small joints called facet joints (25 pairs in total), which control movements between adjacent vertebrae.

 

The orientation of these joints changes in different parts of the spine, and therefore determines the types of local movement available.

The whole idea is to inject the medicine as close to the affected area as possible in order to give an immediate and longlasting relief from the condition.

Before your scheduled visit/procedure

How is it performed?

The patient is usually positioned face down with a pillow under the hips for comfort. Fluoroscopy is used to identify the area and the skin will be marked. Under fluoroscopic guidance, thin needles are placed in the area of the facet joints. Once the needle reaches the intended position, physician injects the medicine. Approximate time for procedure is about 15-20 minutes.

After Care

You may feel numbness, tingling and/or weakness in leg or arm (depending on the site of procedure). These effects usually wear off in 6-8 hours. You may resume normal daily activity the following day. Please call us if you continue to have pain or notce swelling, redness, fever or experience a new onset of weaknesss.