If facet joint injections don't relieve pain, there are other strategies you and your doctor can explore to try to find a solution. X-rays are used to identify the joint and anesthetic cortisone is injected into the area. Injections are non-surgical procedures that provide temporary relief. Doctors may also recommend massage therapy, muscle relaxants, and pain relievers to treat facet joint syndrome.
Depending on the patient, these therapies can make a noticeable difference. If these methods don't work, doctors can try radiofrequency ablation. A medial branch block is an effective method to determine if the nerves in the facet joint are causing pain. Injections can also provide temporary relief if the problem is actually nerve-related. If a branch lock doesn't work, there's another problem that causes back pain and doctors can try more tests to get a proper diagnosis. It's important to note that you may not experience complete pain relief with an injection into the facet joint.
Some people get total relief, while others don't experience any relief, and yet others find themselves in the middle. You may experience enough relief to improve your mobility, which should help you recover. If the pain is relieved and then reappears, the doctor confirms that the nerves in the facet joint are the cause of the back pain. Epidural injections may provide lasting pain relief for some people, but like facet joint injections, they must be re-administered to keep them working. Because both injections contain corticosteroids, there is a limit to the number of injections a patient can safely receive.
When a patient has been correctly diagnosed and the correct area is being treated, facet joint injections have a 75% success rate. Sometimes it can be difficult to pinpoint precisely which facet joint is causing the pain because the pain often moves to other areas. If the effect of the first injection on the facet joint wears off after a reasonable amount of time, a second injection may be given to the facet joint. Facet joint injections are a popular option for patients who suffer pain due to spinal degeneration. However, if the facet joint injection is not relieving at all during the diagnostic part of this procedure, the pain may not have been identified and the cause is still unknown. If a patient does not experience any pain relief with the first injection into the facet joint, doctors usually interpret it as a sign that the joint they have treated is not the joint that is causing the pain. Considering that doctors can recommend facet joint injections as often as three times a year, a positive result can be expected to last about four months.
As part of this treatment, many chiropractors will recommend a posture adjustment to help mitigate facet joint wear and tear. Facet joints are complicated structures found near nerves, ligaments, and other tissues that can be damaged and cause pain. Facet joint injections in the lower back or lower back are usually helpful when pain involves lower back pain that radiates down the lower back and slightly down the back of the upper thighs and buttocks.