Facet Joint Injections for Pain Relief Specialist in Plano, TX

Facet injections can be performed with local anesthetics, steroids, or other substances to reduce inflammation, reduce the symptoms of osteoarthritis, and improve the mobility of joints. They are a type of anesthetic injection that can be used to improve mobility and reduce pain in the spinal column; facet injections may also be used to treat musculoskeletal pain such as back pain, neck pain, and shoulder pain. Facet injections are designed to provide long-lasting pain relief by delivering a small amount of medication directly to the joint.

The benefits of facet joint injections include:

• Reducing Inflammation — Chronic inflammation can slowly cause the joints to degenerate, especially for patients with chronic conditions like osteoarthritis, which contributes to pain and stiffness. In addition, damaged facet joints can cause disability; reducing inflammation can not only provide relief but also improve the range of motion and allow improved levels of activity.

• Greater Pain Relief — Many medications work to ease pain by blocking pain signals, but facet joint injections work to decrease inflammation, which can directly affect the degree of pain patients feel. Some patients report relief from pain for months at a time as the relief provided by facet injections lasts longer than oral medications.

• Aids in Making a Diagnosis — Facet joint injections also help physicians to diagnose their patient’s condition and subsequently administer effective treatment. Facet joint injections may be used to determine the root cause of pain, which is important in developing an appropriate treatment plan.

• Minimal Risks — Facet joint injections are minimally invasive, which means they do not require surgical procedures or incisions and come with fewer risks than more invasive methods.

• Complements Other Conservative Treatment Methods — Facet joint injections allow other treatment methods to work even better and can even enhance a patient’s receptiveness to them, potentially achieving better results. For example, when facet joints have less inflammation, physical therapy can produce greater benefits, allowing patients to actively participate in exercises, further reducing their pain symptoms.

Facet joint injections have a minimal recovery period; most patients do not experience any downtime and can continue with their normal day-to-day activities right after the injection. The time it takes to recover from facet joint injections varies from person to person and depends on a number of factors, including:

• The type of pain being treated
• The severity of the pain
• The underlying cause of the pain
• The overall health of the patient
• The presence of any preexisting medical conditions
• The patient’s lifestyle

The results from a facet joint injection differ from one person to the next and depend upon several factors unique to each situation, including the type of pain, its severity, its chronicity (duration), the reason for the injection (diagnostic or therapeutic) and the overall health of the patient. When diagnosing the cause of pain, if the injections provide relief, the administering physician will better understand the root cause; if it does not provide relief, another injection in a different location may be administered. When successful, facet joint injections can provide relief for as long as several months.
 
Facet joint pain is commonly treated with steroids, local anesthetics, and nerve ablation, but there are other treatment options for facet joint pain. Please contact us at Northstar Joint and Spine to learn about all the options we provide for facet joint pain.
 
Other than injected directly into the joint, facet joint pain can also be treated by using medial branch blocks and rhizotomies. Please see these sections on our website for more information on these procedures.

If your pain is caused by a problem with a facet joint, come to Northstar Joint & Spine to learn about all the options for treating facet joint pain. Call us today to book an appointment with our facet joint injections specialist, or visit our clinic conveniently located in Plano, TX. We serve patients from Plano TX, McKinney TX, Richardson TX, Frisco TX, Allen TX, Addison TX, Carrollton TX, and BEYOND!