A lumbar facet joint injection, also called a medial branch block, places steroid and local anesthetic at the small nerves serving the facet joints of the lower back. It works as both a test and a treatment. If pain drops by at least half after the injection, the facet joints are confirmed as the source and the patient may benefit from radiofrequency ablation or endoscopic rhizotomy for longer relief. It is used for low back pain lasting twelve weeks or more, pain into the buttocks and thighs, facet degeneration, spasm and pain continuing after spine surgery. Spine Institute of North America (Spine INA) in East Brunswick, New Jersey performs these injections as an outpatient procedure.
Medial Branch Block
If you have chronic back pain that lasts for 12 weeks or more, it could be caused by your facet joints. A common symptom of this condition is being abel to lean forward but experiencing sharp pain or spasms when you try to lean back. The medical branch nerve supports the main muscles in your back, and it runs through your facet joints. These nerves send the pain signal from your back to your brain. If your doctor blocks the signal from the medial branch nerve, it will stop you from experiencing the pain. It will also help your doctor diagnose the exact location in your back that is causing the pain. If your pain level decreased by at least half during the medial branch block, then you might benefit from a rhizotomy.
Lumbar Facet Joint Injection Options in Central New Jersey
Your facet joints help you move and give stability to your back. They are small bones at the segments of your spine. As a person ages or induces trauma or mechanical stress on the spine, these joints can become inflamed and cause pain. Facet joint injections or medial branch injections deliver a steroid and anesthetic lidocaine to the joint to block and medicate the area. The lumbar facet joint or medial branch injection can pinpoint the root cause diagnosis of back pain and provide significant pain relief and inflammation.