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Facet Medial Branch Block Specialist

Facet Medial Branch Nerve Block Injections in Plano, TX

Facet Medial branch blocks (also known as facet blocks or medial branch blocks) are a diagnostic procedure used to identify and treat painful facet joints, the joints that lie between the vertebrae in the spine. Trust board-certified Dr. Robert Nocerini MD at Northstar Joint and Spine for effective and results-driven pain relief treatments. Contact us today for more information or schedule an appointment online. We are conveniently located at 7704 San Jacinto Pl Suite #200 Plano, TX 75024.

Facet Medial Branch Nerve Block Injections Near Me in Plano, TX
Facet Medial Branch Nerve Block Injections Near Me in Plano, TX

Table of Contents:

What are facet medial branch blocks?
What are the benefits of facet medial branch blocks?
What is the difference between a facet injection and a medial branch block?
Why do doctors recommend facet medial branch block?

Pain is a complex condition that can be difficult to diagnose as patients may experience different symptoms. There are certain procedures, such as facet medial branch blocks, that work to diagnose the root cause of pain by disrupting the nerves that transmit pain signals to the brain. If these blocks provide pain relief, it allows the pain management specialist to pinpoint the underlying cause of pain and develop an effective treatment plan.

What are facet medial branch blocks?

Facet Medial branch blocks (also known as facet blocks or medial branch blocks) are a diagnostic procedure used to identify and treat painful facet joints, the joints that lie between the vertebrae in the spine. The facet joints allow the spine to bend, flex, and twist and prevent the vertebrae from grinding on one another, cushioning the bones of the spine. When pain is caused by the facet joints, the nerve signal is carried by the medial branch nerve. Inflammation and swelling of the facet joints are common causes of neck and back pain; a medial branch block uses an injection of a local anesthetic to numb the nerve to the joint and provide relief from the painful facet joint. To accurately identify which joints the pain is coming from, multiple injections may be required.

What are the benefits of facet medial branch blocks?

Facet medial branch blocks provide a number of distinct benefits, primarily in their role as a diagnostic procedure. These pain-relieving injections are used to determine which facet joints in the spine are causing pain. This provides invaluable information to the pain management specialist and allows them to develop an accurate treatment plan that sufficiently relieves pain and improves the patient’s quality of life. Another major benefit of facet joint injections is their ability to relieve pain caused by a variety of different conditions. They are typically used when other traditional treatment methods have failed to provide relief and can achieve a pain-free state for extended periods, oftentimes for several weeks or even months.

What is the difference between a facet injection and a medial branch block?

A facet injection and a medial branch block share many similarities but also have a few important distinctions. A facet injection is a type of local anesthetic and steroid that is injected into a joint in the spine, whereas a medial branch block is injected into the area outside the joint, near the medial branch, the nerve that supplies the joint. Facet injections and medial branch blocks are typically used for patients who have back pain caused by arthritis in the facet joints, or for patients with mechanical low back pain. With either treatment, patients may require multiple injections, depending on how many joints are involved and the cause and severity of their pain.

Why do doctors recommend facet medial branch block?

Doctors recommend facet medial branch blocks because of their ability to both diagnose and treat different types of pain. If a patient is experiencing pain that is undiagnosed and has not responded to other forms of treatment, a doctor will likely recommend a facet medial branch block to pinpoint the underlying cause of their pain. If the patient’s pain is relieved, there is both therapeutic and diagnostic value, as the source of pain has been identified and there was an effect on the pain. If the patient does not experience any relief, it may indicate that the pain is coming from a different location and additional injections may be administered.

Call us today to book an appointment for facet medial branch blocks, 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!