Pain Management (joint and epidural steroid)

Facet joint injections are used to localize and treat low back pain caused by problems of the facet joints. These joints are located on each side of the vertebrae. They join the vertebrae together and allow the spine to move with flexibility.

The facet joint injections form a pain block that allows the doctor to confirm that a facet joint is causing the pain. The medication used also decreases inflammation that occurs in the joint from arthritis and joint degeneration. It is important to make sure that the injection goes directly into the facet joint.

Fluoroscopy is used to confirm that the needle is in the right position before any medication is injected. A fluoroscope uses X-rays to show a live image. The doctor can watch on the screen as the needle is placed into the joint and magnify the image to increase accuracy.