Facet injections in North Texas

Facet joint injections are an injectable pain-relieving medication that is used to help decrease discomfort in the facet joints, located between each set of vertebrae in your spine from the neck to the tailbone. This treatment is used to reduce the inflammation and swelling of tissue in and around your facet joint space. The goal of the treatment is to reduce the pain caused by inflammation or irritation of the facet joint and other spinal structures. Dr. Kendall Carll, a board-certified spine surgeon and founder of Spine Care of North Texas, is skilled in the treatment of back pain. He recommends facet injections to North Texas patients who have attempted conservative methods of treatment for back pain relief, but have not been successful. Call Spine Care of North Texas at our Plano and Addison, TX locations for more information.

Any patient who is experiencing back pain that has attempted nonsurgical treatment methods to no avail is a candidate for facet injections. Facet joint pain can be the result of injury, spinal stenosis, sciatica, or osteoarthritis. Although pain typically appears in the lumbar region of the back, it can occur anywhere in the spine. When your facet joints are inflamed, depending on the location of the inflammation, pain can be experienced in the following regions:

• Groin
• Buttocks
• Hips
• Shoulders or neck
• Legs or arms

Facet injections are not typically recommended until after anti-inflammatory medications and other conservative methods have failed to alleviate symptoms. If you are pregnant, have an infection, or suffers from a bleeding disorder, you are not a candidate for this treatment.

You will be referred to the office of a pain management specialist to receive your injection. To address pain in the facet joint, facet injections will be performed while the patient lies on their stomach. For cervical or neck area facet injections, patients may be asked to sit or lay in other positions. The procedure will be performed using x-ray guidance, also known as fluoroscopy. Facet injections may be given using local anesthetics or intravenous sedation, depending on the severity and location of the pain.

Before the injection(s) is given, the neck will be cleaned with antiseptic. Then one by one, the injections will be inserted into the affected joints. Most specialists treat 3 – 4 joints per visit.

You may feel a sense of pain relief immediately after the injections. This is due to the local anesthetic injected during your procedure and will only last for a few hours. Your pain may return after the medication subsides and could remain for a couple of days. Patients whose procedures were performed under sedation will need a ride home. You will need to rest and relax for the remainder of the day, using ice to help ease the discomfort of the injection site. Barring complications, you should be able to return to regular activities the following day. Most patients report pain relief following facet injections at 5 – 8 days post procedure.

Dr. Carll seeks out nonsurgical, minimally invasive way to help his North Texas patients achieve pain relief. Surgery is not always the answer when it comes to spine injuries and our skilled team is passionate about that fact. If you or a loved one is suffering with back pain and in search of a solution, facet injections may be right for you. Schedule a consultation with Dr. Carll at Spine Care of North Texas to learn more about this innovative procedure.