Facet Joint Injections

Facet joints are small joints at each segment of the spine that provide stability and help guide motion. The facet joints can become painful due to arthritis of the spine, a back injury, or mechanical stress to the back.

A lumbar, thoracic, or cervical facet joint injection involves injecting a small amount of local anesthetic (numbing agent) and cortisone into or around the joint. Local anesthetic provides more immediate pain relief and cortisone typically takes several days to reduce inflammation and provide pain relief. The pain relief from a facet joint injection is intended to help a patient better tolerate a physical therapy routine to rehabilitate his or her injury or back condition.