Facet Injections

South Florida Interventional Orthopedics and Spine

Seth Kaufman, D.O.

Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Specialist located in Davenport, FL & Miami, FL

Facet joint injections can help diagnose and treat pain in your neck and upper, middle, or lower back. Double board-certified physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist, Dr. Seth Kaufman, DO, at South Florida Interventional Orthopedics and Spine performs diagnostic and therapeutic facet joint injections at the practice in Davenport, Florida. To learn how facet injections can provide you with lasting relief, call the office or book an appointment online today.

Facet Q & A

What is facet?

Facet joints are the tiny joints between each vertebra in your spine. They are the connections between the bones of the spine.

Facet joints help stabilize your spine and maintain flexibility.

What are facet joint injections?

A facet joint injection, sometimes called a facet joint block, is a shot that contains a small amount of pain-relieving medicine (anesthetic), anti-inflammatory medicine (cortisone steroid), or a mixture of both.

Dr. Kaufman injects this medicine into the facet joint that they think may be the root of your pain. This serves diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. If your pain goes away after the facet injection, it confirms the exact source of your pain while also providing relief from it.

What conditions do facet joint injections treat?

Dr. Kaufman uses facet joint injections to diagnose and treat a variety of conditions, including:

Neck pain
Upper back pain (cervical)
Mid-back pain (thoracic)
Lower back pain (lumbar)
Spinal stenosis
Arthritis
Sciatica

You may be a good candidate for facet joint injections if you suffer from pain that doesn’t resolve with conservative treatments like physical therapy and medication.

How does facet help relieve pain?

Facet joint injections aren’t cures for pain, but they do help stabilize your spine and provide lasting relief. The pain relief you experience after a facet joint injection prepares you for other treatments, like physical therapy and rehabilitation.

What should I expect from a facet joint injection?

Facet joint injections usually occur right in the office at South Florida Interventional Orthopedics and Spine while you’re awake and alert. Dr. Kaufman numbs the treatment area with a local anesthetic, which may sting for a few seconds.

They use an X-ray imaging technique called fluoroscopy to direct the needle to the precise location of the facet joint they’re injecting. Then, they inject a small amount of dye to confirm the needle is in the correct place. After this confirmation, they deliver the anesthetic and anti-inflammatory medicine to the facet joint.

If the facet joint targeted is the root cause of your pain, you may experience immediate relief. You should be able to go home about 20-30 minutes after the injection, but should plan to take it easy for the rest of the day. You may need someone else to drive you home.

To find out if facet joint injections are right for you, call the office or request an appointment online today.

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