Facet Joint Injections Procedure Animated Video

Facet Injection is an outpatient procedure for treatment of chronic upper, middle and lower back pain, neck pain and headaches. This information has been provided for your better understand this procedure.

What is a Facet Injection Procedure:

During this procedure, a local anesthetic (numbing medicine) and corticosteroid (anti-inflammatory medicine) are injected into one or more facet joints.
The doctor will insert a thin needle into the facet joint. Fluoroscopy, a type of x-ray, will be used to insure the safe and proper position of the needle. Once your physician is sure the needle is correctly placed, the medicine will be injected. The injection can be used to diagnose or treat. If the injection temporarily lessens your pain and helps you move better, your doctor will know which facet joint is causing the pain. The corticosteroid is used to treat inflammation of the facet joint.

WHAT ARE FACET JOINTS?
Facet joints, located on both sides of the spine, are small but guide the spine in movement. These are named for the vertebrae they connect and the side of the spine where they are found.