Many times pain specialists share information about conditions or treatments in medical terms that don’t make much sense to their patients. In order to avoid any confusion, our orthopedic doctors in Bedford TX (locations also in Benbrook and Lewisville) have put together several basic informational guides to some of the more common conditions and treatments we offer at CPI. Today we’ll be focusing on a treatment called spine facet injections. Read on to learn more about its uses, including how it may be able to help with chronic neck pain.

 

What are Spine Facet Injections?

Spine facets are joints that connect one vertebra to another all along the spinal column. Spine facet injections can be used as a diagnostic and treatment tool for pain that originates in these joints. This treatment has been found to be helpful for a variety of different types of neck and back pain.

 

How Spine Facet Injections Help Neck Pain

A spine facet injection is a popular treatment primarily because it is an effective, non-invasive option with little to no recovery time. This is true of both its diagnostic use as well as treatment use. The procedure works by injecting a small amount of medication (typically either a numbing agent and/or steroid medication) into the facet joint(s) into the facet joint(s) that are causing the pain.

There are several neck pain conditions that may make a patient eligible for spine facet injections. These can include the following:

• Whiplash
• Aging
• Spinal arthritis
• Traumatic injury
• Degeneration

 

What to Expect

Prior to receiving this treatment, the patient will go through a thorough physical examination and exploration of health history and prior treatments with a chronic pain specialist. Upon completion, the doctor will recommend a treatment plan that may include spine facet injections. The following is what a patient can expect in the spine facet injection procedure:

• Patient will lay face-down on the procedure table
• Injection site is cleaned, and local anesthetic is applied to the skin to numb the area
• Guided by an x-ray device (fluoroscope), the doctor will insert a needle into the target facet joint
• Medicine is injected into the joint(s)
• Needle and x-ray device are removed, and patient remains still for approximately 15-20 minutes
• Patient is asked to sit up and perform specific movements while reporting pain levels to the doctor

Many patients report noticing immediate relief of pain following this procedure. This is an indication that the doctor has correctly located the joint or joints which were causing the pain. This procedure may be repeated if necessary, using longer lasting medicine, to allow for a long-term resolution of pain.

CPI has Bedford doctors accepting new patients (locations also in Benbrook and Lewisville) who will be able to help you with this or any other chronic pain treatment – call today to learn more.

 

Risks & Side Effects

As one of our top non-surgical treatment options for neck pain, there are very few risks or side effects associated with facet joint injections.

• Redness/soreness at injection site
• Infection at injection site
• Short-term increase in pain
• Allergic reaction
• Possible – but rare – nerve or spinal damage

 

Orthopedic Doctors in Bedford TX

Your chronic pain should not stop you from living life. We can help! CPI provides a 360-degree treatment approach to pain management including physical therapy, chiropractic adjustment, psychological evaluation, therapeutic massage, optimizing hormone levels, medical grade CBD, medication management, cancer pain management and more. Visit us today at one of our 2 convenient Texas locations: Bedford or Benbrook, TX