Are you struggling with persistent back or neck pain that just won’t go away? The kind of deep, aching stiffness that makes turning your head or bending over a daily challenge? For many, this pain originates not from a large disc or muscle, but from tiny joints in your own spine called facet joints.
When these joints become inflamed due to arthritis, injury, or simple wear-and-tear, the pain can be debilitating and limit your life. At APSI Wellness in Cincinnati, our mission is to help you understand this pain and provide clear, advanced solutions. One of the most effective and targeted treatments we offer is the facet joint injection.
This article will serve as your comprehensive guide to understanding facet joint pain, how diagnostic injections work, and the path to long-term relief available at our Milford clinic.
Understanding the Source: What Are Facet Joints?
To understand the treatment, it’s helpful to understand the anatomy. Your spine is a complex structure made up of vertebrae stacked on top of one another. Between each vertebra are large, cushioning discs that you’ve likely heard about. However, at the back of each vertebra are two smaller, paired joints that connect one vertebra to the next—these are your facet joints.
Think of them like the guiding rails of your spine. Their primary job is to provide stability, limit excessive motion, and allow for smooth, controlled bending and twisting. Each joint is lined with cartilage and surrounded by a capsule filled with synovial fluid, much like your knee or shoulder joints.
What Causes Facet Joint Pain (Facet Arthropathy)?
Just like any other joint in the body, facet joints are susceptible to degeneration and injury. APSI Wellness commonly treats painful conditions stemming from:
-
Osteoarthritis: The most common cause, involving the gradual wear-and-tear and breakdown of the protective cartilage within the joint.
-
Degenerative Disc Disease: As the intervertebral discs lose height with age, it increases stress and load on the facet joints behind them, accelerating their degeneration.
-
Injury or Trauma: A sudden event like a whiplash injury from a car accident can forcefully jam or damage these joints, leading to chronic pain.
-
Repetitive Stress: Jobs or activities that involve constant twisting or hyperextension can overwork these joints.
When a facet joint is irritated or inflamed, it can cause localized pain and refer pain to other areas. For example, an inflamed lumbar (lower back) facet joint can cause a deep ache in the lower back that radiates into the buttocks or back of the thigh. A cervical (neck) facet joint problem can cause neck pain and headaches.
The Diagnostic Power of Facet Joint Injections
A key principle at APSI Wellness is precise diagnosis. Because back pain can come from many sources—discs, muscles, nerves, or joints—it’s crucial to identify the exact culprit before proceeding with major treatment. This is where the facet joint injection plays a dual role: as both a diagnostic tool and a therapeutic treatment.
How Does a Facet Joint Injection Work?
The procedure is a minimally invasive, image-guided technique performed by our skilled pain specialists.
-
Guided Precision: Using real-time X-ray guidance called fluoroscopy, our physician directs a thin needle precisely into the capsule of the symptomatic facet joint. This ensures complete accuracy and safety, avoiding nearby nerves and blood vessels.
-
The Injection: A small mixture of a long-acting anesthetic (numbing medication) and a corticosteroid (powerful anti-inflammatory) is injected into the joint space.
-
The Diagnostic Test: The immediate effect of the anesthetic provides critical information. If your typical pain is significantly reduced (usually by 70-80% or more) within a short time after the injection, it confirms that the facet joint is indeed a primary source of your pain. This is a vital piece of the puzzle.
The Therapeutic Benefit
Simultaneously, the corticosteroid gets to work reducing inflammation inside the joint. This can provide significant pain relief that lasts from several weeks to many months. For many patients, this pain-free window is an opportunity to actively engage in physical therapy, core strengthening, and lifestyle modifications that are crucial for long-term spine health.
The APSI Wellness Pathway: From Diagnosis to Lasting Relief
At APSI Wellness, we view a facet joint injection not as an isolated event, but as a strategic step in a comprehensive care plan. Our approach is thorough and patient-focused.
Step 1: The Comprehensive Evaluation
Your journey begins with a detailed consultation. Our specialists take the time to listen to your history, perform a physical exam, and review any previous imaging (like MRI or CT scans). We determine if your symptoms are consistent with facet joint arthropathy.
Step 2: The Diagnostic Injection
If we suspect facet joint pain, we will recommend a diagnostic medial branch block or intra-articular facet joint injection. We explain the entire procedure, answer all your questions, and ensure you are comfortable before proceeding.
Step 3: Developing a Long-Term Plan
The results of your diagnostic injection guide our next steps:
-
Positive Response (Temporary Relief): If the injection provides excellent but temporary relief, it confirms the diagnosis. We then discuss longer-term solutions. The most effective and durable treatment is often Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA), listed on our site as Cervical or Lumbar Facet Radiofrequency Neurotomy.
-
Exploring Other Avenues: If the injection does not provide significant relief, it tells us we need to investigate other potential sources of your pain. Fortunately, APSI Wellness offers a full spectrum of treatments for conditions like herniated discs, spinal stenosis, and sacroiliac joint pain, ensuring we find the right diagnosis for you.
Radiofrequency Ablation: Turning Off the Pain Signal
For patients who achieve successful relief from a diagnostic injection, Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) is frequently the logical next step. While a corticosteroid injection reduces inflammation, RFA targets the pain signal itself.
The small nerves that carry pain sensations from the facet joint (called the medial branches) are gently heated with a specialized needle. This creates a tiny lesion that temporarily stops the nerve from transmitting pain signals to your brain. The procedure can provide pain relief for 9 months to 2 years or more. When the nerves regenerate, the procedure can be safely repeated.
Why Choose APSI Wellness for Your Facet Joint Treatment?
Choosing the right clinic for pain management is crucial. APSI Wellness in Cincinnati stands out through its dedicated, comprehensive, and patient-first philosophy.
-
Specialized Expertise: Our physicians are fellowship-trained and focused exclusively on interventional pain management and spine care. We treat facet joint pain every day.
-
A Full Continuum of Care: As our service list shows, we are not a “one-procedure” clinic. We offer everything from diagnostic injections and RFA to advanced options like spinal cord stimulators and kyphoplasty. We also integrate medical management, psychotherapy, and complementary therapies because we know chronic pain affects the whole person.
-
A Team That Cares: Our patient testimonials speak volumes. We pride ourselves on taking the time to listen, understand your individual goals, and partner with you to create a realistic path to wellness. In the words of patient Alex Cohen, “Dr. Kerschner really cares, and that made all the difference… help me plot the best path back to wellness.”
-
State-of-the-Art Facility: Our Milford office is equipped with advanced imaging technology to ensure every procedure is performed with the highest level of precision and safety.
Living Deliberately, Free from Pain
Chronic back or neck pain can shrink your world, making you avoid activities, hobbies, and time with loved ones. At APSI Wellness, our ultimate goal is to help you reclaim your life. A facet joint injection may be the key to diagnosing your pain and opening the door to effective, long-term relief.
If you are tired of living with unexplained back or neck pain, and are seeking answers beyond temporary fixes or generalized treatments, we invite you to take the first step.
Contact APSI Wellness Cincinnati today to schedule your comprehensive evaluation. Let us help you get your life back and live deliberately.
APSI Wellness | Cincinnati Location
5405 DuPont Circle, Suite A
Milford, OH 45150
Phone: 513-936-3050
Visit our website to learn more about all our treatments: www.apsiwellness.com
