When facet joints become inflamed or degenerate due to conditions like arthritis, they can cause significant back and neck pain. The pain is often chronic and can severely affect your mobility and quality of life.
John S. Michels, MD, at ISP Health — Integrated Solutions for Pain™ in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, is an award-winning pain management specialist who looks at pain differently from most.
His life experience includes a winning career as an NFL Super Bowl champion that ended prematurely with a painful injury requiring six knee surgeries. These days, Dr. Michels uses his medical expertise to treat pain with nonsurgical solutions that restore mobility.
Read more from Dr. Michels and our team regarding facet joint injections and how they can help solve pain and improve mobility.
The facet (zygapophyseal) joints are tiny compared to others in your body. They connect the stacked bones (vertebrae) in the spine. These synovial joints help you bend, twist, and turn while providing spinal stability that keeps you from bending or twisting too far.
Facet joint pain is often the result of degenerative changes linked to wear-and-tear (osteoarthritis), overuse during sports and work activities, or traumatic injury.
Pain and stiffness related to facet joint disorders often mimic common conditions like herniated discs. Problems with the facet joints can also inflame nearby nerves that exit the spinal cord via small openings very near the joints (intervertebral foramina).
Thus, depending on where the affected joint sits, symptoms can include localized discomfort, stiffness, and shooting pain in the back, neck, legs (sciatica), head, shoulders, or arms.
Lumbar (low back) and cervical (neck) facet joints are most frequently affected, but problems can occur anywhere on the spine.
The first treatment step is accurately diagnosing the underlying cause of your pain through a physical exam, symptom review, and advanced diagnostic studies.
If Dr. Michels discovers or suspects facet joint issues, he customizes a treatment strategy that meets your specific needs, which may include facet joint injections.
Facet joint injections can help diagnose underlying conditions while reducing pain and inflammation in the facet joints, which helps reduce stiffness and improve mobility.
They typically consist of a combination of a local anesthetic and a corticosteroid. The anesthetic works immediately to numb the area. Over time, the steroid reduces inflammation and swelling in the joint, providing longer-term relief.
Facet joint injections can be diagnostic or therapeutic.
We use these to pinpoint the source of pain. If the injection provides significant relief, it’s a likely indicator of facet joint dysfunction.
These injections reduce inflammation and provide pain relief. They may also improve mobility and function in the affected area, helping you return to daily activities more comfortably.
Facet joint injections, delivered in-office under advanced imaging for accurate placement, include:
This is the most common type of facet joint injection. It contains a potent anti-inflammatory drug (corticosteroid) combined with a local anesthetic like lidocaine or bupivacaine.
The steroid component reduces inflammation in the joint, providing long-lasting relief from chronic back or neck pain and making it easier to move and perform everyday activities. Pain relief can last from a few weeks to several months.
Nerve blocks are injections used for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. For instance, a medial branch nerve block can disrupt pain signals from nerves connected to facet joints and confirm the joint as the source of your pain.
If pain relief doesn’t last after a nerve block, Dr. Michels may recommend a more advanced solution, such as radiofrequency neurotomy (ablation).
For long-term relief, Dr. Michels may recommend RFA (rhizotomy). This specialized injection-like procedure disrupts a nerve’s ability to transmit pain signals. It’s not permanent, but RFA can provide relief for many months to years.
For improved mobility and pain relief tailored to your needs, schedule a visit with us at IPS Health today.
