FACET JOINT BLOCK
Facet joint block, also known as facet joint injection or nerve block, is a minimally invasive procedure employed to diagnose and treat spinal pain.
What is a Facet Joint Block?
Facet joints are small joints located between and behind adjacent vertebrae. These joints can cause pain if they become inflamed or arthritic. A facet joint block is an injection of a local anesthetic and steroid into a facet joint, providing temporary to long-term relief from spinal pain.
The Facet Joint Block Procedure
A facet joint block is performed under fluoroscopic (X-ray) guidance to ensure precise needle placement. The patient lies face-down on a procedure table, and the skin over the target facet joint is cleaned and numbed. A thin needle is then introduced into the facet joint, and the medication mixture is injected.
Indications for Facet Joint Block
Facet joint block is used both as a diagnostic tool and a treatment modality. It helps identify whether the facet joints are indeed the source of pain and can provide relief from pain and inflammation. Conditions commonly treated with facet joint blocks include osteoarthritis, facet joint syndrome, and certain types of chronic lower back and neck pain.
Benefits and Potential Risks
Facet joint block offers rapid pain relief, increased mobility, and improved quality of life. It’s a minimally invasive procedure, typically done on an outpatient basis.
However, as with any procedure, it carries potential risks, including infection, bleeding, worsening of pain, or reaction to the medication used. Facet joint block represents a significant advance in the management of spinal pain, offering both diagnostic clarity and therapeutic relief. Patients experiencing spinal pain unresponsive to conservative management should consider discussing this treatment option with their healthcare providers.
Why Choose Us?
At Dr Özgür Akşan – Health Türkiye, we have been providing top-quality neurosurgical treatment options for almost a decade under the guidance and leadership of Op. Dr. Özgür Akşan. Our team is comprised of highly experienced and skilled surgeons, including Dr. Özgür Akşan, Dr. Nail Özdemir, and Dr. Feryal Akşan, all of them having more than 20 years of experience in medicine.
We offer a wide range of treatment options for various neurosurgical conditions, including herniated discs, lumbar spinal stenosis, traumatic brain injury, brain tumors, cervical disc herniation, Chiari malformation, carpal tunnel syndrome, and more. Our team is highly skilled in performing advanced neurosurgical procedures, such as microsurgical discectomy, endoscopic discectomy, spinal fusion instrumentation, craniotomy, craniectomy, gamma-knife radiation therapy, and many more.
At Dr Özgür Akşan – Health Türkiye, we are committed to providing personalized care and tailored treatment plans for each patient based on their unique needs and medical history. Our clinic in Izmir is equipped with the latest technology and we are working with private hospitals with state-of-the-art facilities to ensure the highest level of care for our patients.
Choose Dr Özgür Akşan – Health Türkiye for your neurosurgical needs and experience the expertise and care of our highly trained team of neurosurgeons, led by Dr. Özgür Akşan himself.