A facet injection is a minimally invasive procedure that can temporarily relieve neck or back pain caused by inflamed spinal joints. Facet injection has two purposes. First, it is typically used as an analytical test to determine if your pain is actually produced by your facet or spinal joints. Second, it is used as a management to relieve inflammation and pain. The effects of facet injections tend to be temporary – providing relief for several days or even years. The goal is to reduce pain so that you may resume normal chiropractic or physical medicine treatment.
What is a facet injection (spinal Joint Injection)?
A facet injection includes both a long-lasting corticosteroid and an anesthetic numbing agent. The medications are distributed to the painful facet joint, either inside the joint capsule or in the tissue surrounding the joint capsule. Each vertebra has four facet joints, one pair that connects to the vertebra above (superior facets) and one pair that connects to the vertebra below (inferior facets) (see Anatomy of the Spine).
