If you've recently undergone a facet joint injection, you may be wondering how long you should rest before resuming your normal activities. The good news is that you can usually return to your daily routine within 24 hours of the injection. However, it's important to keep track of your progress and be mindful of any tenderness or pain that may occur in the days following the procedure. It's recommended that you move around and do your usual activities, as long as they are not too strenuous. This will help you to gauge the amount of pain relief you receive from the injection, as well as how long it lasts.
We suggest that you avoid taking pain medication on the day of the procedure so that you can accurately assess the amount of relief provided by the injection alone. If your facet joint injection is successful, you should expect to experience pain relief for several months. Although pain relief with facet joint injection usually occurs within 3 to 5 days, some patients experience improvement before or after this time period. Using an ice pack three or four times a day can help alleviate any local tenderness that may occur in the days following the procedure.
It's also important to contact us with feedback on your progress so that we can decide on the next step in your treatment. Overall, it's safe to resume all your normal daily activities 24 hours after a facet joint injection. However, it's important to keep track of how you're feeling and contact us with any questions or concerns. With proper care and monitoring, you should be able to experience lasting pain relief from this procedure.