Facet Rhizotomy Injection
Over the years, we have had the unique experience of helping many individuals who are dealing with lower back pain. Time and time again, they tell us how their lower back pain has negatively impacted their life.
Lower back pain can take simple and enjoyable things, such as spending time with friends and family, and turn it into something that is a nightmare. One of the hardest things that our clients have to deal with is the way that their lower back pain not only changes the way they live their life, but it also changes who they are.
If you are dealing with lower back pain, we empathize with you. We want to help you address your pain, remove your pain if possible, and teach you ways to manage your pain for the rest of your life. One procedure that has been beneficial in addressing lower back pain is facet rhizotomy injections. What Are Facet Rhizotomy Injections?This is a minimally invasive procedure that is designed to relieve neck or back pain connected to facet disease. The procedure uses an anesthetic or steroid to deaden the nerve fibers that carry pain signals to the brain.You will be presented this option if you have had successful facet joint injections using cortisone to temporarily deaden an irritated joint nerve.
Some of the degenerative spinal conditions that benefit from facet rhizotomy injections include:
- Spinal Stenosis
- Spinal Arthritis
- Facet Disease
For some individuals, these conditions are asymptomatic. However, for others they produce localized pain or pain that radiates through the extremities. It is not uncommon for sufferers to experience tingling, numbness, and muscle weakness in the area that is covered by the affected nerve.
Parts of the Body That Are Affected by Facet Joint Disorders
Your backbone has 33 vertebrae that are stacked on top of each other. There are seven in the neck region, 12 in the thoracic region, and five in the lumbar region. There are nine vertebrae that are fused together in the pelvis and tailbone region.
The majority of these vertebrae have facet joints. There are two facet joints on either side of the vertebrae. As you move, your spine will stretch and flex. With time, these movements can take a toll on your vertebrae. The parts of your body that are affected when you have a facet joint disorder will vary depending on the location of the joint injury or where the deterioration is taking place.
- Injuries to your cervical facet joints will lead to radiating pain in your shoulders, upper back, fingers, hands, and arms.
- Injuries to thoracic facet joints will lead to pain in your torso, mid back, and rib cage.
- Injuries to your lumbar facet joints will lead to pain in your lower back, in your legs, and in your buttocks.
How We Can Help
Dealing with lower back pain is excruciating and life altering. Our goal is to work with you to help you remove your pain or to manage your pain to the point where you can get back to living an active life. If you have been dealing with lower back pain for some time, you know firsthand how this pain has changed you and changed your life for the worse.
The very first thing that we do when you come into our clinic is sit down and talk to you. We want to learn from you firsthand about your pain. Once we have compiled sufficient information, we will work with you to create a long-term and a short-term pain management program. The short-term program is just designed to get you up and going as quickly as possible. The long-term program is designed to show you how to manage and if possible alleviate your pain for the rest of your life.
It is likely that friends, family members, and even some in the medical community have not been as understanding as they should about your pain. Some may even doubt that you are experiencing the level of pain you currently feel. Please be assured that this will never happen when you come into our clinic. We will not doubt your pain, question its severity, or give you the impression that your pain is all in your head. Your pain is real, and we want to help you to eliminate it.
Contact us today, and let us use our years of experience to help you get back to living the life you deserve.
The Benefits of Facet Rhizotomy Injections
Facet rhizotomy injections can leave a patient with sufficient pain relief that will allow them to better tolerate physical therapy with the goal of helping them rehabilitate from their injury or back condition.
- Facet rhizotomy injections have two primary goals. The first is to diagnose the cause of the pain, and the second is to give you pain relief.
- If after the facet rhizotomy injections you experience immediate relief, it is clear that the facet joint is the source of your pain.
- Long-term pain relief is provided by a time-released steroid that is injected into the facet joint to minimize inflammation. This can often provide long-term pain relief.