While pain is a normal experience for everyone, persistent, ongoing pain that affects your everyday life should not be the case. For those experiencing extreme, chronic joint pain in the neck or spine, facet joint injections may be right for you. To learn more about the benefits of joint injections in the Los Angeles area, read on.
What Are Joint Injections?
Facet joints connect each vertebra in the spine, providing stability and protecting the spine from overextension and over-twisting. When these joints begin to deteriorate, pain can ensue. Facet joint injections are used to treat irritated, inflamed, and arthritic joints in the upper neck and spine. Common causes of facet joint pain include:
- Sports injury
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Arthritis
Facet joint injections serve the purpose of increasing function and range of motion of the spine, providing relief to the degrading joints. Facet joint injections are a great alternative to surgery and require relatively little to no required recovery time.
Facet Joint Injection Procedure
The facet joint injection involves injecting a small amount of local anesthetic or steroid medication in the joint gap. Pain relief is needed to facilitate the physical therapy routine that is often accompanied by joint injections.
When receiving facet joint injections, the procedure serves two purposes: to provide pain relief and to diagnose the patient’s source of pain. If the patient receives pain relief from the joint injection procedure, our team at Interventional Pain Doctors in Los Angeles can better diagnose and design the pain management plan that works for the patient’s maximized benefit.
How Can Interventional Pain Doctors Treat Facet Joint Pain?
Each injection procedure utilizes image guidance to ensure a precise injection is administered. Contrast dye confirms that the medication was administered in the correct position. If desired, the patient can choose to receive a local numbing agent applied to the targeted area to minimize injection pain and sensitivity. If the patient receives sedation for the procedure, oxygen will be given to ensure that they are feeling comfortable and cared for during the procedure. Once the needles are removed, band-aids will be placed and the patient will be re-located to the recovery room until they are ready to be discharged.
Interventional Pain Doctors | Pain Doctors in Los Angeles
Interventional Pain Doctors work to develop the right treatment plan for your pain. Let us help you achieve a pain-free life! Our pain doctors in Los Angeles can help develop a treatment plan that gets you back to your daily life. The Interventional Pain Doctors team is made up of a highly qualified, determined team of healthcare physicians, including Dr. Nicholas Fuller, Dr. Chad Heng, Dr. Jeffrey Jeng, and Dr. Daniel Loder. With offices in Beverly Hills and Los Angeles, California, we want to meet you where you are to treat your pain at the source. For more information regarding our services and scope of care, visit our website or contact us today.