Many pain management techniques involve the application of a nerve block injection. Nerve blocks serve to block the transmission of pain signals from the spine. Depending on each individual’s particular circumstances, nerve blocks may be applied by injecting alcohol or phenol or, in some cases, through the use of freezing techniques or the creation of heat lesions.

Nerve blocks are frequently a beneficial alternative when drugs or other treatments do not work properly or are accompanied by unwanted side effects. Nerve block injections are applied with a local anesthetic and results may last for as long as 6 to 12 months.

How Facet Block Injections Work

One of the leading causes of pain in the neck and back, the Facet Joints are suspected to account for almost 80% of all spine related pain visits. This pain is caused by a number of conditions attributing to Facet Disease in the spine and often interferes with any prescribed physical therapy. Because of this, many patients who are prescribed a physical therapy regimen and experience facet pain also undergo a series of Facet Block Injections to assist in pain management.

Serving a dual purpose, Facet Block Injections allow our doctors to properly identify the pain causing joints while still providing relief to the patient for pain caused by inflammation in the facet. The inflammation that occurs in the facets causes a great deal of discomfort and pain, which often leads to a loss of motion and subsequent inability to follow through with prescribed physical therapies. Should the facets be suspected of causing back pain, a Facet Block Injection will be administered in hopes of allowing the patient to continue physical therapy and heal naturally.

Why do I need Facet Block Injections?

If you are experiencing pain in your neck or back while sitting, standing, walking or running chances are that some part of that pain is going to be due to inflammation in the spine. The facet joints, which exist on both sides of each vertebrae, connect the vertebrae to one another and act as a rolling hinge for your spine. Because of their involvement in every movement the body makes, they naturally undergo a fair amount of wear and tear and are involved in a large percentage of our patient’s conditions.

Fortunately, there are a large number of patients who experience extended relief after receiving a series of Facet Block Injections. Often times, the body needs a bit of help in battling inflammation around injured areas of the spine and after receiving that help, in the form of injections, the body begins to repair itself naturally, eliminating the need for intensive surgery or daily pain medication. For patients seeking a non-surgical approach to treatment, Facet Block Injections are a perfect combination of treatment and diagnostic response.

Facet Block Injection at Deuk Spine Institute

As a fairly knowledgeable society when it comes to healthcare, there is a common misconception that there is nothing complicated about administering injections. The view that injections are a simple point and shoot process where medication affects the necessary areas is fairly inaccurate and leads to quite a bit of incorrect diagnoses. In fact, many patients who have come to Deuk Spine Institute from other spine institutes have shared their experiences with us, many noting that injections had been ordered and after there was no response or relief following treatment, their only course of action recommended was traditional spinal fusion. Now, traditional spinal fusion is an open back surgery that often results in up to 6 months of recovery time before returning to work. For these patients and many others like them, traditional spinal fusion with another surgeon just wasn’t an option.

So what did we do? We investigated. We needed to determine if their condition was actually as severe as they were told and if it could only be treated through surgery.

What we found was that more often than not, patients who had been administered injections at other clinics did not experience relief because the injection was not performed properly.

In many cases, our patients responded well to Facet Block Injections, some not needing any further treatment before getting back to physical therapy and continuing their lives pain free.

Why should you come to Deuk Spine Institute for injections? Because we are the best at what we do and take pride in getting it done correctly the first time.

  • "I must praise the Lord for sending me to you for treatment on my back. With all your injections I am able to now live a very busy life and all of it pain free! Thanks is not enough for all you have done for me!"
  • "Dr. Patel, you are always so eager to help someone in pain, I am so very fortunate to have you for my Doctor. You and your staff are truly wonderful, thank you for being my saving grace."
  • "My life has been set back in motion. It is hard to find the right words to express how much I appreciate what you have done for me."
  • "Your gentle nature made me feel at ease. I can not thank you enough for making me pain free! You're the best!"
  • "I can now get up from a chair and just walk with no pain or stiffness. It is something that has changed my life. I can play golf, bowl, simply turn around, dance with my wife, pick up something off the ground, and many other things that most take for granted. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. You have allowed me to be able to live my life pain free again."
  • "I am essentially pain-free since my spinal epidural injections. I wish to thank you, Dr. Bharat Patel, I have been so pleased with this amazing treatment! I enjoyed the friendly, efficient staff at Deuk Spine Institute."