Facet joint injection

Just as epidural injections are used to treat disc-related pain within the spinal column, facet joint injections are sometimes used to diagnose and treat pain emanating from the facet joints. I

njections of a local anaesthetic and steroids directly into the facet joints may reduce pain and facilitate recovery. If pain recurs after joint injection, the small sensory nerve to the joint (medial branch nerve) can be identified and ablated to obtain long-term pain relief with a technique called radiofrequency denervation.

These small nerves can be coagulated with radiofrequency heat current, rendering the joint anesthetic and reducing pain long term.

 

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