Facet Joint Injection
Summary. A facet joint injection is an outpatient, minimally invasive procedure. Using X-ray guidance, we deliver a local anesthetic and a corticosteroid into the small joints of the spine that can cause neck and back pain. It takes about 15–20 minutes, needs no hospital stay, and most patients return to normal activities within a day. Patients who respond well may be candidates for radiofrequency ablation (RFA), which can offer 12–18+ months of relief.
Benefits of facet joint injections
Image-guided precision
Real-time X-ray guidance places the needle accurately at the target joint.
Diagnostic confirmation
A quick response to the numbing medication helps confirm the joint as the source of pain.
Anti-inflammatory action
The steroid calms inflammation, with its effect building over several days.
Outpatient convenience
Same-day procedure with no hospital stay.
Personalized plans
Treatment is matched to your spinal level and pain pattern.
Coordinated care
Often combined with physical therapy to support lasting progress.
Pathway to RFA
A good response may qualify you for radiofrequency ablation, a longer-lasting nerve-based treatment.
Conditions Treated with Facet Joint Injections
Facet joint pain accounts for a substantial share of chronic neck and low back pain. If one of the conditions below sounds like what you are experiencing, a facet joint injection may help relieve your pain and confirm where it is coming from.
Facet Joint Arthritis (Spondylosis)
Wear and tear of the cartilage in the small joints at the back of the spine. Typical signs are a deep, achy pain and stiffness that is often worse after resting or when bending backward, and better with gentle movement. An injection can calm the inflamed joint and help you move more comfortably.
Cervical Facet Syndrome
Irritation of the facet joints in the neck. It commonly causes neck pain and stiffness, pain with turning the head, and sometimes pain spreading to the shoulders or the base of the skull. Targeting the affected neck joint can ease pain so you can rotate and extend your neck again.
Lumbar Facet Syndrome
Facet joint pain in the lower back. It often feels like a dull ache across the low back that may reach the buttocks or upper thighs, and it can flare with standing, twisting or leaning back. Treating the joint directly can reduce the pain signals coming from it.
Thoracic Facet Pain
Pain from the facet joints in the mid-back, between the shoulder blades and the lower ribs. It is less common than neck or low back facet pain but can limit breathing deeply, twisting and reaching. An image-guided injection can settle the irritated joint.
Whiplash-Associated Disorders
Neck and upper back pain that follows a sudden acceleration-deceleration injury, such as a car accident. The facet joints are a frequent source of ongoing neck pain and headaches after whiplash. Injections can help relieve pain and confirm whether these joints are involved.
Post-Traumatic Facet Injury
Joint irritation or damage after a fall, sports injury or other trauma. Pain tends to be localized and aggravated by certain movements. Reducing joint inflammation can support recovery and make rehabilitation more comfortable.
Degenerative Joint Disease
Age-related, progressive breakdown of spinal joints that can involve the facets alongside the discs. It may cause chronic stiffness and pain. Injections can provide relief that makes daily activity and physical therapy easier to tolerate.
Axial Neck Pain
Pain centered in the neck itself, without pain traveling down the arm. When the facet joints are the source, a diagnostic injection can help confirm it and guide the next step in your plan.
Axial Low Back Pain
Pain centered in the low back, rather than radiating down the leg. Facet joints are one of the common sources, and an injection can both relieve pain and help identify the joint responsible.
Spondyolisthesis
A condition in which one vertebra slips forward over the one below it, which can overload the facet joints and cause back pain. Injections may ease joint-related pain, and your physician will weigh them against other options for your situation.
This content is for information only and is not medical advice. Results vary from person to person. Talk with a physician to find out whether a facet joint injection is right for you.