The facet joints are located at each vertebral level of the spine. They are small joints that help stabilize the spine, aid in movement, and prevent the vertebra from rubbing against one another. Facet injections involve injecting a small amount of local anesthetic and/or steroid medication, that blocks pain in the facet joints. They primarily serve two purposes:

Diagnostics: By placing an anesthetic into a facet joint and evaluating the relief that the patient experiences, one can determine if the facet joint is a source of pain.

Therapeutic Purpose: Along with the numbing medication, a facet joint injection also includes injecting time-release steroids into the facet joints to reduce inflammation, which can sometimes provide longer-term pain relief.