Back and neck injuries and arthritis of the spine can result in painful facet joints. A facet joint injection is the injection of a local anesthetic and a steroid medication into the facet joints. The steroid medication relieves inflammation and can sometimes lead to long-term relief from pain. The pain relief afforded by a facet joint injection usually allows a patient to embark on a physical therapy treatment course to rehabilitate his/her injury or back or neck condition.
Facet joint injections are useful; not only for providing pain relief, but also for allowing a physician to determine whether the facet joint is indeed the source of the pain.