Facet Injections Mansfield Tx – The Procedure and Precaution

Facet joints defined as the small joints at each segment of the spine that gives stability and help guide motion. These facet joints can become painful due to arthritis of the spine, a back injury, or mechanical stress to the back. As treatment or get relief from this pain doctors to go for facet injections Mansfield Tx in the Mansfield location.

What is a facet joint injection?

A facet injection is an injection of an anti-inflammatory steroid (e.g., Dexamethasone or Triamcinolone) for the facet joints pain. The facet joints, also identify as the zygapophysial joints, are considered a part of the bony framework of the spine. They are stated as small bony projections from one vertebra meeting with identical bony projections from the vertebra upper or lower. Occasionally, caused by a variety of acute and chronic situations, the facet joints can become inflamed. For lower back (lumbar) facet joints, the pattern of pain is generally an achiness in the low back, radiating across the lower back and slightly down the back of the buttocks and upper thighs. Basically, standing or bending backward worsens the pain. For cervical (neck) facet joints, the pattern of pain is an achiness in the neck, slight radiation across the neck and shoulders, and worsening sign with turning the head from side to side or looking up.

How long does it take to do?

Actually, the injection takes only a few minutes. But it allows about an hour for the total process; this will involve discussing to your doctor before the procedure, signing the informed consent, positioning in the room, and observation by the recovery room nurse afterward.

The Facet Injection

The injection procedure includes the following steps:

• Usually, the process takes place without any sedation, although, an IV line can be started if relaxation medicine is needed.
• The patient lies on a table, and the skin over the area to be tested is well cleansed.
• The physician treats a small area of skin with a numbing medicine (anesthetic), which cause sting for a few seconds.
• The physician examines with X-ray guidance (fluoroscopy) to direct a very small needle into the facet joint.
• A small quantity of contrast dye is then injected to confirm that the needle is in the joint and that medication is contained inside the joint.
• Following this process of confirmation, a few mixtures of anesthetic (such as lidocaine) and anti-inflammatory medication (steroid/cortisone) is then gently injected into the joint.

Immediately Following the Injection

• Immediate after the treatment, the patient mostly remains resting in the recovery area for twenty to thirty minutes, and then is instructed to perform some functions or activities that would generally provoke their pain.
• Patients may or may not obtain pain relief in the first few hours after the injection, depending upon whether or not the joints targeted are the main source of their pain. If the joint or joints being targeted are not causing their pain, a patient will not obtain immediate relief from injection.
• On occasion, patients may feel numb or have a slightly weak or odd feeling in their neck or back for a few hours after the injection.
• The patient will talk with the doctor about any immediate pain relief, and any questions or concerns.

The Day of the Injection

On the day of the injection, patients are typically advised as follows:

• Keep away from doing any strenuous activities.
• Avoid driving, unless specifically permitted by the treating physician.
• Patients should limit pain medicine within the first four to six hours after the injection so that the diagnostic information obtained is accurate.
• If sedation was used, the patient should not drive for 24 hours after the procedure.