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Facet Joint Pain

The Facet Joint connects the posterior elements of the spine and is prone to degenerative changes. The facet joint carries up to 1/3 of the loading force of the lumbar spine. Osteoarthritis of the joints leads to cartilage fissures, fraying and erosions. Hereotopic Growth (bony spurs) leads to instability and inflammation. Degeneration of the Facet Joints account for approximately 10-15% of the cases with chronic low back pain.1

Symptoms of Facet Joint Pain Include:

  • Constant aching
  • Dull or sharp pain
  • Pain worsens with movement
  • Localized pain, but can refer pain to the hip or buttock area

The common types of nonsurgical treatments for facet joint pain are:

  • Lumbar Facet Block is procedure where medicine is injected directly into the joint.
  • Cervical Facet Block is procedure where medicine is injected into the cervical facet joint.
  • Medial Branch Block is a procedure where the facet joints are "innervated" by sensory nerves that come off the posterior aspect of the corresponding spinal nerve. These small sensory nerves "dorsal ramus medial branches form a lattice work sensation of the facet joints. Local anesthetic block of the Medial Branch Block can temporarily interrupt the pain signal carried to a specific facet joint.

Reference

1. Pope JE, Cheng J. Facet (Zygapophyseal) Intraarticular Joint Injections: Cervical, Lumbar, and Thoracic. Injections for Back Pain. 129-135. ClinicalKey.com. Accessed July 16, 2019.
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  • Interventional Procedure "Dr. Safman is caring and communicates well. The discomfort from the spinal injection is very minor. She makes it an easy procedure." Provider: Kimberly Safman MD
  • Spinal Injections Epidural/Facet "Everyone was so nice. it helped calm my anxiety about the procedure. Also, once I arrived all went smoothly and no wait time." Provider: Balaji (Bobby) S Charlu MD
  • Spinal Injections Epidural/Facet "Entire staff is very friendly, professional and cares about my care." Provider: Balaji (Bobby) S Charlu MD
  • Spinal Injections Epidural/Facet "On time and very caring and professional." Provider: Kimberly Safman MD
  • Spinal Injections Epidural/Facet "Everyone was attentive professional and pleasant. A great smooth and stress free experience." Provider: Kimberly Safman MD
  • Spinal Injections Epidural/Facet "Explaining what he was going to do for procedure." Provider: Balaji (Bobby) S Charlu MD
  • Spinal Injections Epidural/Facet "Got back to me quickly with answers to my questions" Provider: Kimberly Safman MD
  • Spinal Injections Epidural/Facet "He and team really listened." Provider: Balaji (Bobby) S Charlu MD
  • Spinal Injections Epidural/Facet "They were very pleasant and knowledgeable. Also great at explaining the details of options and treatment." Provider: Kimberly Safman MD
  • Spinal Injections Epidural/Facet "Cared about me during procedure." Provider: Kimberly Safman MD
  • Spinal Injections Epidural/Facet "Actual procedure was well handled" Provider: Balaji (Bobby) S Charlu MD
  • Spinal Injections Epidural/Facet "The professional care done with a sense of warmth and humor." Provider: Balaji (Bobby) S Charlu MD
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