Facet joints are small weight bearing joints present on either side of your spine. They provide stability and give us the ability to twist and bend around the spine. They are present from the neck to the lower back. Facet joint Injections are often performed for the treatment of Chronic Lower Back Pain. Facet Joint Injections are quite helpful in diagnosing pain location and if confirmed can be used to provide therapeutic relief.. Most often, the Facet joint Injections are used to numb the facet joints so that patients can cope with physiotherapy. The procedure of having Facet Joint Injections is very simple and they are usually performed as daycases. Facet Injections also help to ease the tension and strain placed on the muscle overlying the joint as well and can aid in muscle relaxation.
What is injected into the Facet Joint?
Facet joints are made up of two surfaces of the adjacent vertebral bodies and these are separated by a thin layer of cartilage. The joint is surrounded by a saclike capsule and is filled with synovial fluid. Facet joint injections can be either intra-articular (inside the capsule) or periarticular (around the capsule). Usually a mixture of local anaesthetic (either lignocaine or bupivacaine) and a steroid(depomedrone, triamcinolone or dexamethasone) is injected. The steroid acts as an anti-inflammatory agent while the local anaesthetic provides immediate pain relief.
Who can benefit from Facet joint Injections?
In general, Facet joint Injections are often given to patients who have signs of arthritis in the facet joints as shown by a MRI scan. They are often performed after patients have not obtained much relief despite being on anti-inflammatories, physiotherapy, osteopathy and other complementary therapies. Facet joint Injections can be given at all levels whether they be thoracic (upper back), lumbar (lower back), and cervical (neck) pain.
Are there any contraindications to having Facet joint Injections?
There are a few contraindications to having facet joint injections such as pregnancy due to the risk of exposure to Xrays. Patients on blood thinning tablets such as warfarin must stop their medication before the procedure. Local infection at the site or allergic reactions to the drugs to be used can also be contraindications to facet joint injections. If you are in doubt , please discuss with your doctor.
Can facet joint injections be done as a day case?
Facet joint Injections are usually performed by an experienced trained consultant and can be done as a quick day case. In the UK, Facet joint injections are most often performed Pain Specialist and sometimes by surgeons or radiologists. The Facet joint Injections take around 15 -20 minutes tobe done and often multiple joints can be injected in the same sitting.
There are several Pain Clinics in the UK. These clinics are run by experienced Pain Medicine Consultants. The Berkshire Pain and Spine Specialists is one such Clinic that caters to the population of Berkshire and is based in Reading at the Spire Dunedin hospital.. You can go to http://www.berkshirepainclinic.co.uk to get more information about the Clinic and the techniques that the Pain Specialists there use to treat neck and back pain.
