• Sciatica
• Herniated Disc
• Spinal Stenosis
• Degenerative Disc Disease
• Facet Syndrome
• Sacroiliac Joint Syndrome
• Spinal Cord Stimulation

Facet Syndrome
The spine also has numerous joints. These joints are symmetrically placed on the right and left side. A pair of these joints exist in between each adjacent pair of vertebrae and are located toward the back of the spine. These joints, just like any other, may become painful in certain circumstances. Most commonly, this occurs as we age and, just as the other joint in the body, they become arthritic. These joints can also become painful related to specific injuries where an extra load is placed on them.

When these joints become painful, they generally produce back pain, although, on occasion they also can cause pain to shoot into the upper portion of the leg. This pain is generally worse in positions that put these joints under stress. Most commonly, this means standing or walking but other positions can also exacerbate this pain.

Facet Joint Injection or Block
Injections, also known as blocks, are the direct delivery of steroids or anesthetic to nerve, joint or epidural space. These may provide relief of pain and can be used to confirm diagnosis.

In cases where the facet joint itself is the pain generator, a facet block injection can be performed to alleviate the pain. Facet block injections are a diagnostic tool used to isolate and confirm the specific source of pain for the patient. Additionally, facet blocks have a therapeutic effect as they numb the source of pain and soothe the inflammation for the patient.

In a facet block procedure, a physician uses fluoroscopy (live x-ray) to guide the needle into the facet joint capsule to inject a numbing agent and/or an anti-inflammatory medication. If the patient's pain goes away after the injection, it can be inferred that the pain generator is the specific facet joint capsule that has just been injected. Depending on your results from these injections, the physiatrist may discuss additional options with you in order to provide you additional, more long-term relief of your pain.