Facet joints are an integral part of your spine, providing stability and guiding movement. When facet joints degenerate over time, whether from age, a medical condition, or trauma, the cartilage between the joints become thin or wear out completely.
Once the joints reach this condition, it causes painful bone-on-bone contact of your vertebrae. Without cartilage, these bones lack vital cushioning tissue which makes the symptoms & pain of friction between bones worse over time.
Dr. Raka Gohel and her team at Pain Specialists Houston typically recommend Facet Joint Injections to treat Facet Syndrome pain. This simple outpatient procedure only takes less than 30 minutes for most patients.
WHAT CAN BE TREATED WITH FACET JOINT INJECTIONS?
Facet Joint Injections can alleviate pain and treat symptoms & facet joint pain from the following conditions:
- Facet joint syndrome
- Arthritis of the spine, spinal osteoarthritis
- Spondylosis
- Disc Disease
- Vertebrae and Lumbar pain
- Back injury pain
- Mechanical stress
FACET JOINT INJECTION BACK PAIN TREATMENT PROCEDURE
Depending on your individual case and based on Dr. Gohel’s recommendations, you may be scheduled for a single injection treatment or several sessions over time. Facet joint injections are generally limited to three within a six-month time frame. In most cases, only one or two injections are required to alleviate facet joint pain.
Facet Joint Injections are an outpatient procedure but are administered carefully in an operating room under x-ray. Dr. Gohel typically will administer local anesthetic and cortisone into each affected joint.
You may experience immediate temporary pain relief due to the local anesthetic; this is important to help your physician diagnose the cause and location of the pain. You may experience discomfort at the injections sites for 1-2 days following the procedure. It is completely normal for a time delay for the cortisone to truly relieve the joint of inflammation. During your personal consultation, Dr. Gohel will inform you of what to expect for your specific case and treatment.
PAIN SPECIALISTS IN HOUSTON, THE WOODLANDS, & TOMBALL TX
To schedule your free consultation and speak to a local specialist, call us today at (281) 720-3555 or request an appointment using our calendar and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
