Facet joint injections can help relieve chronic neck or back pain caused by inflamed or arthritic facet joints in the spine. At Grossman Spine, Dr. Seth Grossman, our board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon, diagnoses the source of your pain and recommends treatments that reduce discomfort, improve mobility, and help you return to daily activities with greater comfort.
Reduce Inflammation in Spinal Joints
Facet joint injections are minimally invasive procedures that deliver a local anesthetic and anti-inflammatory medication directly into or around the small facet joints of the spine. These joints help stabilize your back and neck while allowing movement. When they become inflamed, they can cause persistent pain. The injection helps reduce inflammation, relieve discomfort, and confirm whether the facet joints are the source of your symptoms.
What Do Facet Joint Injections Treat?
Facet joint injections are commonly recommended for people experiencing persistent neck or back pain due to inflammation or irritation of the facet joints. They may also confirm whether these joints are the source of your symptoms. Facet joint injections may be recommended for:
- Facet joint arthritis
- Cervical facet joint pain
- Thoracic facet joint pain
- Lumbar facet joint pain
- Degenerative changes affecting the facet joints
- Chronic neck pain
- Chronic back pain
- Pain after a spine injury
- Pain that worsens with twisting or bending
- Localized spinal pain without significant nerve compression
What Happens During Facet Joint Injections?
Facet joint injections are typically performed as an outpatient procedure. After you are comfortably positioned, Dr. Grossman cleans the treatment area and numbs the skin with a local anesthetic. Using live X-ray guidance (fluoroscopy), he carefully advances a thin needle to the targeted facet joint or the tissue surrounding it. A small amount of contrast dye may be used to confirm precise needle placement before the medication is delivered.
Once the needle is correctly positioned, you will receive a combination of a local anesthetic and an anti-inflammatory corticosteroid. The injection is completed within minutes, and the needle is removed before a small bandage is applied. You will be monitored briefly before going home. Many patients can resume light daily activities within a day.
Benefits of Facet Joint Injections:
- Targets inflammation directly within the affected facet joints
- Helps relieve chronic neck and back pain
- May improve spinal mobility and flexibility
- Minimally invasive with no large surgical incisions
- Performed on an outpatient basis
- Requires little downtime for most patients
- Can help identify the source of spinal pain
- May reduce the need for oral pain medications
- Supports participation in physical therapy and rehabilitation
- May delay or eliminate the need for spine surgery in appropriate candidates
FAQs
How Long Does It Take for Facet Joint Injections to Work?
Some people notice pain relief within a few hours because of the local anesthetic, while the corticosteroid may take several days to reduce inflammation. Your response depends on the underlying condition, the severity of inflammation, and how your body reacts to the medication.
How Long Do the Results Last?
Pain relief varies from person to person. Some patients experience relief for several weeks, while others may benefit for several months. If your symptoms return, your spine specialist can determine whether repeat injections or another treatment is appropriate.
Will I Need More Than One Injection?
You may benefit from more than one injection depending on your diagnosis, the amount of pain relief you experience, and your long-term treatment goals. Dr. Grossman will evaluate your response before recommending additional injections or other therapies.
Schedule Your Consultation Today
Dr. Seth Grossman is a board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon whose engineering background and patient-first philosophy guide every treatment recommendation. He believes in exhausting all conservative treatment options before considering surgery. At Grossman Spine, patients across New Jersey receive personalized surgical care focused on lasting pain relief. Schedule your consultation today to learn whether facet joint injections are the right option for you.
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