Diagnosing Facet Joint Pain - Health Channel

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Diagnosing Facet Joint Pain |

The facet joint behaved the same way as a knee joint. It has the same principle, because it has meniscus ligaments and it can be a source of problem, because they can develop an injury in the joint and also arthritis, explains Jose Mena, Interventional Spine Specialist at Miami Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Institute.

He also says over 50% of chronic neck problems are coming out from those joints. “Depending on where your problem might be, or your pain might be coming out from we have a better idea which joint might be responsible for the problem,” he affirms.

The treatment is by injections, similar to an epidural one, he says.

Transcript

And tell us more about facet joints. W e have a graphic so we can show our viewers and maybe you can carry us through it, there it is right there. > All right. So we have the facet joint that’s basically that what I was referring to from the from the side view, so we have the joint itself and we have a capsule so the joint basically behaved the same way as a knee joint has the same principle has meniscus, has ligaments and it can be a source of problem they can they can develop an injury in the joint and that’s where a lot of time people develop arthritis down the road. So that’s a source of, a very common source, of like over 50% of chronic neck problems they’re coming out from those joints and those are the joints that you recall that we were talking at the beginning of the program that they refer to different segments in the shoulder blade in the in the head those are the referrals from those joints so depending on where your problem might be or your pain might be coming out from we have a better idea where the what join might be responsible for the problem. Would injection worked there? > Yes, they do. So on their x-ray guidance again we put the injections similar to an epidural injection, we put the needle inside the joint to relieve the symptoms that actually the joint those injections can be done anywhere from zero so you want to down the spine all the whole the whole length of the spine. > And how long do the injections last normally? > Variable it can be from nothing to completely definite so the thing that’s basically a cervical facet joint injection that has been done, you can do it from the back or from the side. The injections what we want to make sure to help them out to do an exercise program does well you’re bringing it up it’s very common a lot of patient they feel that the injection is the cure they feel that they that once they have the injection that’s that’s the end of it but absolutely not, this is just part of the of the treatment.

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