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Facet Joint Injections in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA

Accelerate your pain relief with facet joint injections at Maasumi Headache & Spine Care.

Facet Joint Injection for Spinal Stability and Flexibility

Living with chronic spine pain and inflammation is annoying, as it interferes with all your daily activities. If you're struggling with pain, Maasumi Headache & Spine Care offers facet joint injections which is a fast and pain-free way to alleviate your discomfort.

These injections specifically target the facet joints between each vertebra in your spine that provide stability and flexibility to your spine, enabling it to bend and twist. The irritation or inflammation of these joints causes spinal arthritis and facet syndrome, leading to bone spurs (stress on the bone) and joint enlargement. However, by pinpointing the exact facet joints causing your pain, facet joint injections serve as a precise diagnostic tool. So, you can get prompt relief from your chronic pain/inflammation anywhere in your spine, from your neck to your lower back.

What Conditions Are Treatable with a Facet Joint Injection?

What Conditions Are Treatable with a Facet Joint Injection?

Facet joint injections help treat several spiral conditions causing pain and inflammation, including:

  • Facet Joint Syndrome - The inflammation or irritation of the facet joint that leads to pain and stiffness in the back or neck.
  • Spinal Stenosis - It is when the spine canal is narrowed, causing pressure on the nerves that results in back or leg pain.
  • Arthritis - It is a chronic condition that causes inflammation in the facet joints.

Besides, it is used to diagnose the origin and root cause of the pain. In diagnostic facet joint injection, we will inject a local anesthetic into your facet joint to determine whether the inflammation or irritation of the joint is the source of your pain. If you find relief after the injection, we can conclude that your facet joint causes you pain.

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Who Are the Ideal Candidates for Facet Joint Injections?

Facet joint injections are recommended for those with the following conditions or symptoms:

  • Thoracic facet joint pain in the upper back, chest, and rarely arms
  • Spinal arthritis
  • Lumbar facet joint pain in the hips, lower back, legs, or buttocks
  • Back pain due to mechanical stress or injury
  • Cervical facet joint pain in the neck, head, arms, or shoulders

Types of Facet Joint Injection

Facet joint pain can be experienced anywhere from your neck to upper back, hips, upper thighs, and legs. So, to treat pain in different areas of the joint, facet joint injections come in different types, including:

  • Cervical Facet Joint Injection - The upper part of your spine in the neck has cervical facet joints, which, when inflamed or irritated can cause pain in the shoulders, arms, neck, face, or head. The cervical facet joint injection is administered to relieve pain in these areas.
  • Thoracic Facet Joint Injection - Thoracic facet joints are present in the upper part of your spine below the neck (in your chest). An injury to these joints can cause pain in the upper back or chest, but it can be eased with the thoracic facet joint injection.
  • Lumbar Facet Joint Injection -The lumbar facet joints run in the lower part of your spine. If they are hurt, you can experience pain in your hips, lower back, buttocks, or legs. The lumbar facet joint injection can reduce pain around your lower spine.

How Long Does the Procedure Take?

A facet joint injection is an outpatient procedure that can take 15-30 minutes to complete, including preparation time. However, a one-hour observation is necessary before discharge just to ensure there are no complications from the medication.

What Are the Benefits of Facet Joint Injections?

What Are the Benefits of Facet Joint Injections?

After receiving facet joint injections, you will experience considerable benefits related to pain relief, including:

  • Immediate and lasting pain relief
  • Helps diagnose the source of pain, helping to devise follow-up treatments
  • Minimal risks or side effects
  • Quick recovery
  • Effective and safe
  • Though it involves X-rays, no radiation remains in your body post-procedure

What Happens During the Facet Joint Injection Procedure?

Our facet joint injection procedure involves the following steps:

  • Positioning
    If you receive a lumbar facet joint injection, we will ask you to lie on your stomach and place a small pillow under your abdomen to keep your spine straight. If you receive a cervical facet joint injection, we will ask you to lie on your side or stomach.
  • Preparation
    We will insert an IV line to deliver anxiety medication if needed. Then, we will clean and numb the treatment area with local anesthesia to keep you comfortable throughout the procedure.
  • Needle Insertion and Confirmation of Its Location
    We will insert a small, thin needle into the targeted facet joint with imaging guidance (x-ray or ultrasound) to ensure correct placement. We will inject a small amount of contrast dye through the needle to confirm the needle is placed in the joint, not into the bloodstream.
  • Medication Administration
    We will inject the medication directly into the joint and after that, remove the needle. We will monitor you for 30-60 minutes after the injection and ask you to perform facet joint pain-stimulating movements to evaluate your pain relief.

Why Choose Maasumi Headache & Spine Care for Facet Joint Injections?

Maasumi Headache & Spine Care aims to provide all our patients with comprehensive relief from chronic pain and inflammation through minimally invasive procedures. Our facet joint injection is one such procedure that helps you achieve quick relief from the pain that has been holding you back for so long. Our physician, Dr. KC Maasumi MD, MS, has board certifications in both neurology and interventional pain management, so he can accurately understand your spinal anatomy and the conditions causing you pain, treating them with dot perfection. We always strive to offer patient-centered care to ensure our treatment provides realistic pain relief and improves functional activities of daily life.

Here are other reasons that help you choose us over others:

  • Get seen quickly with our swift appointments.
  • We embrace state-of-the-art technology and facilities to offer the highest possible care.
  • We are conveniently located for your quick and easy visits.
  • We accept major health insurance plans for your affordable treatments.
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FAQs

As the injection is administered after numbing your skin with local anesthesia, it won’t cause much pain except a tingling or pinching sensation when the needle is inserted.

To receive facet joint injection, ensure to:

    • Stop taking blood thinners as prescribed.
    • Do not take your diabetes medicine until the procedure is done. Also, check your blood sugar level before the procedure.
    • Not eat or drink anything from midnight before the procedure day.
    • Have someone with you to drive you home.
    • Keep us informed if you have a fever, flu, very high blood pressure, active infection, or cold, or took medication after your stop date. In such cases, we will reschedule your procedure.

  • Don't take a tub bath.
  • Don't drive for the rest of the day.
  • Don’t expose the injected area to heat

If you experience prompt and long-term pain relief after one facet joint injection, we may recommend continuing the facet joint injections to manage your pain. You can get up to three facet joint injections per year.

A lumbar radiofrequency neurotomy is a permanent treatment for relieving facet joint pain. It burns or destroys the pain-causing nerves, so it won’t cause pain anymore.

Serving Areas: Rancho Santa Margarita (RSM), Trabuco Canyon, Mission Viejo, Foothill Ranch, Lake Forest, Las Flores, Coto de Caza, Portola HIlls, and Southern Orange County, CA

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Visit Us for a Pain-Free Facet Joint Injection!

At Maasumi Headache & Spine Care, we have certified specialists to administer facet joint injections with the utmost attention to detail and comfort. Contact us today if you are looking for facet joint injections near you in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA.

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