What is a facet joint?
Facet joints are arranged in the back part of your spine from the base of your neck all the way down to your low back. They are involved in “whiplash” injuries of the neck and arthritis or degeneration in the low back. These joints may cause pain in and around the spine and can markedly limit how you use your neck or back. When facet joints are painful, it can be difficult to bend the spine backward. Each facet joint is served by medial branch nerves, and if these nerves are blocked with local anesthetic, the pain from the joints will stop, telling the doctor where the pain is coming from.
