Facet Joint Injections in Mountain View
Are you looking for facet joint injection specialists in the Mountain View area? Facet joint injections can be performed for both pain relief and diagnostic approaches. Located between each vertebra, your facet joints provide the spine with flexibility and stability.
How it Works
Facet joint injections take 10 to 20 minutes to administer. Your Mountain View doctor will use x-ray imaging in order to reach specific joints with the needle. The injection contains a local anesthetic and an anti-inflammatory corticosteroid.
Facet joint injections can be used a diagnostic approach in order to confirm that the facet joints are the source of your pain and discomfort. If a facet joint injection is successful, your doctor is able to pinpoint the facet joint that is the cause of your pain.
Facet joint injections can provide relief for:
- Spine trauma
- Spinal arthritis
- Degenerative disc disease
- Facet syndrome (characterized by inflammation of one or more facet joints)
You will experience relief almost immediately due to the local anesthetic, but this wears off after a few hours. More long term relief is achieved in three to five days following the injection, due to the corticosteroid. Patients experience relief from facet joint injections for three to six months.
Most patients only need to have one or two injections in order to experience relief, but repeat injections are possible. You may be a candidate for receiving three facet joint injections in a six month period.
Soreness and redness at the injection site is common. Some minor side effects, including itching and sweating, are temporary and not as common. Serious side effects are rare. The majority of patients are able to resume their normal activities the following day.