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Facet Joint Injections
These injections are prescribed by your doctor when other treatments have not satisfactorily controlled your back or neck pain. A local anesthetic is used to numb the skin and muscles, and then you will receive 4-6 injections of medication. X-ray and iodine dye are used to ensure correct needle placement. Two medications are given, a steroid anti-inflammatory medication and a local anesthetic. This is not surgery, and no tissue is removed. These injections may be repeated up to three times per year if necessary.
Purpose:
Facet injections are meant to help you tolerate your prescribed exercise program by relieving pain. They anesthetize or "block" joints of the spine that transmit pain. Injections alone will not "cure" your condition, and their effect will be temporary if not done with your exercise program.
Complications:
The only common complications of this procedure are: If you have diabetes mellitus, it may raise your blood sugar. If you have high blood pressure, it may raise your blood pressure. Fainting, sweating, and nausea during the procedure occur in some people as a reaction to needles or the thought of needles.
Please notify your doctor if you are on blood thinners such as coumadin, if you are allergic to local anesthetics or iodine, or if you have any heart problems. Other complications are extremely rare. If you have any questions or other special circumstances, please bring them to your doctor's attention.
What to expect after the injections
The area injected may feel numb or even slightly irritated immediately after the injection. Any numbness you feel will "wear off" in 6-8 hours. The steroid medication will not begin to act until two days later. Please follow the post-injection instructions carefully to minimize discomfort for the next several days. Once the steroids have taken effect, they last about two weeks. Use this precious time to aggressively pursue your prescribed exercise program. Make sure you see your doctor approximately two weeks after the injections.