Facet Joint Injection at Apex Interventional Pain & Spine

Facet joint injection is a minimally invasive pain intervention procedure used for pain caused by facet joints. Facet joints are small joints located between each vertebra. They provide support, mobility, and flexibility to the spine.

When damaged or inflamed due to wear and tear or injury, the facet joints can cause severe pain that can extend from the neck to the legs, depending on the position of the inflamed joint. Facet joint injections inject a local anesthetic (numbing solution) and a steroid medication directly into the affected joint, leading to pain relief and reduced inflammation.

Facet injection at Apex Interventional Pain & Spine provides long-term relief for your back pain, allowing you to lead a life uncompromised by pain.

Am I a Candidate for Facet Joint Injection?

You can be a candidate if you have the following symptoms or conditions:

Injury-induced back pain.
Mechanical stress-induced back pain.
Spinal arthritis.
Cervical facet joint pain in the head, neck, shoulders, or arms.
Thoracic facet joint pain in the chest and upper back.
Lumbar facet joint pain in the lower back, hips, buttocks, or legs.

It may not be the right option for you if you have:

Bleeding disorder.
Allergic reaction to the medications in the injection.
An active local or systemic bacterial infection.
Pregnancy.
Spinal tumors or infections.
Severe diabetes and congestive heart failure.
No pain relief in the first stage of facet joint injection.

How Does Facet Joint Injection Work?

Facet joint injection is performed in two stages:

The first injection is a diagnostic tool to confirm whether a facet joint causes back pain.
The second injection is administered when the diagnosis is confirmed in the first stage. It involves temporarily disconnecting the inflamed nerve for long-term pain relief.

Are Facet Joint Injections Worth It?

For debilitating back pain patients, facet joint injections can be the right choice due to the several benefits they offer, such as:

Non-surgical minimally invasive procedure
Minimal risks
Effective pain management solution
Quick procedure that takes less than an hour
Minimal downtime
Allows greater mobility
Improves overall well-being

How Do You Prepare for a Facet Joint Injection?

Preparing for a facet joint injection involves 3 stages:

1. Before Facet Joint Injection:

Your doctor will:

Assess our medical history
Discuss the procedure’s risks and benefits
Respond to your questions

Provide certain guidelines to follow, such as:

Avoid blood thinning medications for a few days.
On the appointed day, shower with regular soap.
Avoid using lotions or creams around the injection site.
Wear loose and dark clothes.
Reach the hospital 30 minutes before the appointed time.
Carry out a list of your current medications and allergies.
Keep on hand your latest imaging reports.
Bring someone to drive you back home.

2. During Facet Joint Injection:

Once your vital stats, including blood pressure and blood sugar levels, are found to be normal, you:

Lie face down with the blood pressure and heart rate monitor attached to your arm and finger.
The doctor disinfects the injection site and places a sterile paper or plastic sheet on it.
The treatment area is marked and numbed.
They inject a contrast dye and then the steroid medication using X-ray-guided imaging.
You may feel some pressure against your spine.
The needle is withdrawn, and the site is cleaned and bandaged.

3. After Facet Joint Injection:

You are observed for 15-45 minutes and then discharged with the following:

Pain log
Follow-up consultation date
Activities to avoid
When to remove the bandage

Why Choose Apex Interventional Pain & Spine?

Apex Interventional Pain & Spine is a trusted pain management center serving Coppell, Carrollton, Grapevine, TX, and surrounding areas. With his team, Dr. Mohammed I. Khan, a board-certified physician in physical medicine, rehabilitation, and pain management, offers a wide range of personalized minimally invasive interventional pain procedures, including facet joint injections near you, for acute and chronic back pain conditions.

A few highlights of our exceptional services are:

Get Seen Promptly
State-of-the-Art Office
Convenient Location
Insurance Accepted

Get the Most Advanced Chronic Back Pain Treatments at Apex Interventional Pain & Spine

Are you looking for a facet joint injection doctor near you? At Apex Interventional Pain & Spine, Dr. Khan offers the most advanced treatments for chronic back pain, including facet injections in Coppell, Carrollton, Grapevine, TX, and surrounding areas. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.

Request an appointment Call Us: (972) 833-PAIN (7246)

FAQs

Due to the numbing solution in the medication, you may feel slight discomfort but no pain. However, you may feel pain and soreness at the injection site for some time after the procedure.

Insurance or Medicare may pay for facet joint injections if a facet joint is the source of the pain, which extends for over 3 months.

You may resume mild regular activities the next day.

The pain relief from a facet joint injection can last from a few weeks to over three months.

Facet Joint Injection in Coppell, Carrollton, and Grapevine, TX