Nerve Blocks - Facet Blocks (intra-articular or medical branch nerve block)
A facet block is an injection of local anesthetic and steroid into a joint in the spine.
The procedure is performed under local anesthesia. Using x-ray guidance needles are advanced to the appropriate joints by the interventional radiologist. Once the needles are in the proper location local anesthetic and steroid is injected through the needles and the needles are removed.
A medial branch block is similar but the medication is placed outside the joint space near the nerve that supplies the joint called the medial branch. Multiple injections maybe required depending on the number of joints that needs treatment.
