If facet joint injections don't relieve pain, there are other strategies you and your doctor can explore to try to find relief. The injection may have failed because the pain is not due to a facet joint issue, but rather due to a condition that mimics the same symptoms, such as spinal stenosis or a herniated disc. If this is the case, your doctor will work to determine the correct diagnosis in order to find the right treatment for you. With standard facet joint injections, doctors use an X-ray to identify the joint and inject anesthetic cortisone into the area. Injections are non-surgical procedures that provide temporary relief.
When doctors treat facet joint syndrome, they try a combination of different therapies, such as massage therapy, muscle relaxants, and pain relievers. 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. Doctors can try more tests to get a proper diagnosis. Talk to a doctor today about the possibility of having your medial branch blocked. To relieve pain during treatment, the doctor or nurse will inject anesthetics combined with corticosteroids directly into the joint. The sedative is intended to relieve pain immediately, while the anti-inflammatory corticosteroid is used to relieve long-term pain by reducing inflammation. However, in most cases, once the anesthesia wears off, the discomfort may return briefly.
This can often indicate that the injection into the sacroiliac joint didn't work. If intravenous administration is not effective, more drugs, follow-up injections and more invasive surgeries may be recommended. In addition, injections into the sacroiliac joint make it easier for people to resume their usual activities or work. When facet joints become inflamed, they can put pressure on surrounding nerves and become a source of significant pain. A therapeutic injection containing pain medication will be requested after the diagnostic injection if your doctor believes it might be effective.
Facet joint injections are a popular option for patients suffering from pain due to spinal degeneration. In addition, drug injections can effectively relieve sacroiliac joint pain when one or both large joints become irritated due to conditions such as surgeries, suffering, osteoarthritis, or childbirth. During the procedure, doctors inject an anesthetic near the facet joints to determine if the patient is suffering from facet joint pain. Pain that arises from a problem in one or more facet joints can sometimes be difficult to determine which joint is actually causing the problem. A diagnostic injection into the sacroiliac joint, also known as a diagnostic sacroiliac joint blockade, serves as a mild anesthetic in addition to helping confirm the diagnosis.
More diagnostic tests may be needed to find nearby facet joints or nerves that are responsible for the discomfort. The good news is that there are other treatment options for patients when facet joint injections don't work. Facet joints, also known as Z-joints or cygapophysars, are small joints that extend along each side of the vertebral column. Unlike diagnostic injections, therapeutic injections into the sacroiliac joint aim to relieve pain for a limited period of time (weeks to months). Facet joint injections can be extremely effective if the pain is actually due to a problem with a facet joint or nearby nerves. If you're experiencing chronic back pain and have already tried facet joint injections without success, it's important to talk with your doctor about other treatment options available.
Your doctor may suggest additional tests or treatments such as radiofrequency ablation or medial branch blocks in order to determine what's causing your back pain and how best to treat it.