Lumbar Facet Solutions

Precise Spine Care Near You in New Jersey

Facet joint syndrome is a common condition that affects all populations, from seniors to athletes and office workers. When pain gets in the way of your normal lifestyle, get relief at Kurdali Spine & Pain. We offer non-surgical treatments, including lumbar facet joint injections, to relieve all types of spine pain. Get in touch to schedule your appointment with Dr. Basil Kurdali at one of our locations near you in New Jersey.

Key Takeaways

Lumbar facet joint injections are a non-surgical treatment for lumbar facet joint syndrome, a collection of symptoms caused by facet joint conditions.
Symptoms of facet joint syndrome include pain that gets worse after exercise or inactivity, pain that gets worse when bending backwards, stiffness, tenderness, or grinding sensations.
Conditions treated with lumbar facet joint injections include poor posture, arthritis, acute injuries, repetitive use injuries, and spine deformities such as scoliosis.
Kurdali Spine & Pain provides non-surgical relief for neck, back, nerve, muscle, and joint pain, offering same-day treatment for patients in New Jersey.

What Are Lumbar Facet Joint Injections?

Lumbar facet joint injections are a minimally invasive treatment for pain in lower back facet joints. Each pair of spinal bones, or vertebrae, is connected by two facet joints. These joints guide movement in the spine to provide stability and prevent extreme bending or twisting. When the joints are affected by irritation, injury, or degeneration, pain may occur.

To deliver a lumbar facet joint injection, Dr. Basil Kurdali uses medical imaging guidance to place a thin needle near the affected joint. The needle is used to inject corticosteroid medication directly into the painful tissue. The medication mimics cortisol, a naturally occurring hormone, to deactivate the immune response in the area surrounding the joint. This effectively reduces inflammation to address symptoms, such as pain, swelling, and tenderness.

What Symptoms Are Treated with Lumbar Facet Joint Injections?

Lumbar facet joint injections are primarily recommended to treat lumbar facet joint syndrome. Lumbar facet joint syndrome refers to pain and other symptoms that originate in lumbar facet joints. Its characteristic symptoms include:

Aching pain in the lower back
Pain that radiates into the buttocks and thighs
Pain that feels worse when bending backward and better when bending forward
Pain that feels worse after heavy exercise or long periods of inactivity
Tenderness in the skin over the spine
Stiffness, especially after sleeping or long periods of inactivity
A feeling of grinding in the spinal joints
Burning, tingling, or numbness in the buttocks, legs, or feet

The pain may occur on one side of the body (unilaterally) or on both sides of the body (bilaterally), depending on which facet joints are affected.

What Conditions Are Treated with Lumbar Facet Joint Injections?

Lumbar facet joints are extremely flexible, facilitating forward, backward, and twisting movements. They are also responsible for supporting the weight of the torso. This combination of traits makes them susceptible to stress, damage, and degeneration from a variety of causes. Diagnosing the correct cause is essential to planning the best treatment. Conditions that cause facet joint pain include:

Poor Posture

Poor posture is a common cause of joint pain, especially in younger populations. Routine use of poor posture creates stress on the facet joints by forcing them to support extra weight. Over time, the stress causes damage that leads to pain.

Muscle Strains

Muscle strains, which are sometimes called pulled muscles, refer to stretched or torn muscles. If the patient overexerts themselves in sports or while lifting a heavy object, they may stretch a muscle near their facet joint. The damaged muscle swells up and causes joint pain.

Arthritis

Arthritis refers to the degeneration of the cartilage that surrounds joints. Over time, wear and tear causes the cartilage in the spine to break down. It becomes thin, reducing the protective barrier between bones in the facet joints. The bones rub against one another painfully whenever the spine flexes.

Acute Injuries

Acute injuries refer to injuries caused by sudden trauma, usually due to an extreme movement or a blunt force. They can include muscle and tendon strains, ligament sprains, and bone fractures. All types may produce facet joint pain and other symptoms.

Repetitive Use Injuries

Repetitive use injuries refer to injuries caused by repetitive bending or twisting. They are common among athletes and people who work jobs that require heavy lifting. Over time, the repeated motions cause small amounts of damage that accumulate into a serious, painful condition.

Scoliosis

Scoliosis is a deformity characterized by a side-to-side bend in the spine. The abnormal bend changes the way that the spine supports weight, creating extra stress on the vertebrae and facet joints. This may result in pain like that caused by poor posture or a repetitive use injury.

What Happens Before a Lumbar Facet Joint Injection?

Before performing any type of treatment, including facet joint injections, Dr. Kurdali must diagnose the cause of the patient’s pain. He begins with a thorough physical examination to assess the spine and learn more about the patient’s symptoms. The examination is followed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and X-ray tests for a closer look at the spine’s underlying structures. This process helps him understand the patient’s pain and confirm that facet joint injections are the best treatment.

As soon as the patient has a diagnosis, the treatment can begin. Facet joint injections are a simple procedure that does not require much preparation. For the best results, however, patients should inform Dr. Kurdali of potentially complicating factors such as diabetes, blood-thinning prescription medications, or a known allergy to contrast dyes.

What Can I Expect from Lumbar Facet Joint Injections?

A lumbar facet joint injection is a fast procedure that is performed in an outpatient setting. Patients are first asked to change into a hospital gown before lying on their bellies on a comfortable table. Dr. Kurdali then performs the following steps:

Cleans and disinfects the skin around the treatment site
Applies a local anesthetic under the skin to numb the treatment site, which will reduce discomfort when inserting the needle
Using X-ray guidance to insert a needle near the painful joint
Injecting contrast dye, which shows up clearly on the X-ray, helping Dr. Kurdali confirm that the needle is correctly placed
Slowly injecting the steroid medication, which may cause slight pressure, tingling, or pain, though many patients do not feel anything at all
Removing the needle and applying gentle pressure to prevent bleeding
Cleaning the treatment site and applying a dressing.

The whole procedure is completed within 15 to 30 minutes. Once finished, the patient moves to a chair or bed to rest under observation. The patient is released within an hour or when Dr. Kurdali is confident that they are not experiencing an allergic reaction. Patients can resume their normal activities as soon as they are released, including work, driving, and exercise.

What Are the Results from Lumbar Facet Joint Injections?

Most patients feel better right after their facet joint injection. This immediate relief is an effect of the anesthetic used to numb the treatment site. The anesthetic wears off within a few hours, possibly causing a brief increase in pain. This is normal. The corticosteroid takes a few days to become effective. When it does, patients experience significant and longer-lasting relief.

How long the relief lasts depends on the patient. While some people get a few weeks without pain, others experience little to no symptoms for several months or longer. When the effects of the injection wear off, Dr. Kurdali can schedule an appointment for a second treatment.

What Are the Side Effects and Risks of Lumbar Facet Joint Injections?

Lumbar facet joint injections are simple procedures that are medically proven to be effective and safe. The side effects are rare and may include:

Patients who experience increased pain can alleviate it with a cold pack or over-the-counter medications. The pain and other side effects should go away within a few days. Patients should contact Dr. Kurdali if side effects last longer or if they experience symptoms such as:

These symptoms are warning signs of infection or an allergic reaction. In both cases, the patient should seek medical attention.

What Should I Expect from Rehabilitation?

While lumbar facet joint injections help to manage the patient’s symptoms, they do not directly treat the cause. As a result, the pain relief they provide is only temporary. For the best outcomes, Kurdali Spine & Pain may recommend combining injections with rehabilitative care, such as:

These forms of rehabilitative care may be painful by themselves. With facet joint injections, however, patients have a period of relief when they can participate in PT or chiropractic care without excessive discomfort. Patients can take advantage of short-term symptom reduction to work toward long-term improvements in their spine health.

Why Choose Kurdali Spine & Pain?

Facet joint syndrome is one of the most common causes of back pain. Fortunately, surgery is not always required to get relief. Kurdali Spine & Pain was founded by Dr. Basil Kurdali, who is a board-certified pain management doctor. Dr. Kurdali provides non-invasive treatments that reduce lower back pain without surgical intervention. Patients can get relief without expensive procedures or a long recovery.

Patients can also get relief quickly. At Kurdali Spine & Pain, we strive to eliminate delays in treatment to ensure a quick journey from consultation to recovery. Patients who visit our office receive a same-day diagnosis and treatment, going home with less pain and a higher quality of life.

Get Lower Back Pain Relief Near You in New Jersey

Do not let lower back pain stand between you and your lifestyle. Kurdali Spine & Pain serves patients across New Jersey with a full range of non-surgical relief options for neck, back, nerve, muscle, and joint pain. To learn more about lumbar facet joint injections and the conditions they treat, or to schedule your first appointment at one of our locations near you in New Jersey, contact Kurdali Spine & Pain today.

Lumbar Facet Joint Injection FAQ

How do lumbar facet joint injections differ from lumbar epidural injections?

Both facet joint injections and epidural steroid injections use similar procedures and medications. Facet joint injections target the joints in the spine to treat pain and stiffness caused by facet joint syndrome. Epidural steroid injections, meanwhile, target the epidural layer to treat pain, tingling, and numbness caused by nerve impingement.

What risks or side effects should I watch for after a lumbar facet joint injection?

Patients should watch for symptoms of infection or allergies. These include fever, nausea, vomiting, difficulty concentrating, and dizziness.

What insurance does Kurdali Spine & Pain accept?

Kurdali Spine & Pain works with all major insurance carriers, including Medicare.