If you have neck or back pain, your doctor may want to find out whether it is coming from your facet joints. These are small pairs of joints that link the bones in your spine. They provide stability and allow your spine to bend and twist.
Each facet joint contains small nerves called medial branch nerves. They carry pain signals from the facet joints to your brain. You may be offered a medial branch block or facet joint injection to find out what is causing your pain.
Medial branch block: Your doctor uses an X-ray machine to guide a small needle over the medial branch nerves. A numbing medicine (local anaesthetic) and steroid drug (to reduce swelling) are then injected over these nerves. This temporarily blocks the medial branch nerves from sending pain signals to your brain.
Facet joint injection: Your doctor uses an X-ray machine to guide a small needle over the facet joints. The numbing medicine and steroid are then injected directly into your facet joints. This may temporarily reduce pain and swelling (inflammation).
If your symptoms improve straight after this short procedure, it shows that the facet joints are causing your neck or back pain. This can help your doctor plan future treatment to give you longer-lasting pain relief. The Pain Management Team at Highgate diagnoses and treats all types of problems affecting the spine. Our leading spinal team ensure that you get the best possible care from your diagnosis to rehabilitation.
At Highgate Private Hospital, we understand that spinal problems are a common cause of pain, reduced mobility and loss of earnings. We offer an all-inclusive self-pay package for a medial branch block or facet joint injection. Prices for treating five or six joints and a follow-up appointment start from £1,700 (terms and conditions apply). For more information, please call our self-pay advisers on 020 3918 9463.
