Cervical Facet Joint Injection

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Cervical Facet Joint Injection

Cervical Facet Joint Injection

Definition

To understand what a cervical facet injection is, it’s important to note some key terms. Cervical refers to the cervical spine, or the section of spine that is found in the neck. A facet is one of the bony joints of the spine. Cervical facet injections are merely joint injections that are administered into the neck to relieve chronic pain. The relief of this pain may make it possible for patients to begin a physical therapy program to rehabilitate and strengthen the muscles of the neck and areas around the spine. The injection will consist of a local anesthetic to provide more rapid pain relief, and a steroid medication to provide longer-lasting pain relief.

Procedure

During the procedure, the physician will use the aid of a fluoroscope, a type of live x-ray to guide the proper placement of the medication and avoid any nerves. The patient will lie facedown on the procedure table, and the injection site will be cleaned. The physician may inject a small amount of local anesthetic to help ease any discomfort during the procedure.

Then, using the guidance of fluoroscopy, the physician will direct the needle into the appropriate facet joint. A small amount of contrast dye will be injected to ensure that the needle is in the correct position. Once this has been determined, the medication will be injected into the joint, and the physician will remove the needle. A small bandage may be placed over the injection site, and the patient will be required to rest and recover before returning home.

The entire procedure usually takes between 15 and 30 minutes, and is done on an outpatient basis, which means that the patient is able to return home the same day.

After Care

After the patient is allowed to return home, it is advised to rest and avoid strenuous activities. While patients may notice an initial improvement in their pain symptoms, pain may increase again in the days immediately following the procedure as the local anesthetic wears off and the steroid medication begins to take effect. If there is any pain or soreness at the site of the injection, patients may use ice or a cold pack to relieve discomfort.

Patients will usually see pain relief results in three to five days as the steroid begins to take effect. If the patient felt pain relief right after the procedure, but does not feel any improvement from the steroid medication, another procedure or diagnostic tests may be required to achieve more substantial pain relief.

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