What are Facet Joints?
The facet joints are small joints at the back of the spine that support and aid in rotation and bending of the spine. Sometimes these joints can become inflamed from either trauma or arthritis. Facet joint pain can often be present with pain on spinal extension (e.g. backwards bending) or with twisting of the spine. They may cause referral of pain to the buttocks or lower back in a lumbar facet or to the neck and head in a cervical facet problem. What is a Diagnostic Medial Branch Block? The Medial Branch nerves are nerves that carry sensations, including pain, from the facet joints. They also control some of the small muscles near the spine around the facet joint. Medial Branch Blocks are diagnostic injections only. This means that you probably will not have prolonged pain relief. Medial Branch Blocks are injections that help to determine (diagnose) the cause of your pain by placing numbing medicine over the nerves that we think are causing the pain. If you get relief from your pain,
