What is a Facet Joint Injection?
Facet joint pain can cause stiffness and discomfort in the neck or back, making everyday activities more difficult. If pain medication, physiotherapy, or other non-surgical treatments are no longer effective, your consultant may recommend facet joint injections to help diagnose and relieve your pain.
At New Victoria Hospital, our experienced Consultants provide accurate diagnoses and personalised treatment plans to help manage spinal pain and improve your quality of life. From consultation to aftercare, our team will support you every step of the way.
Why Are Facet Joint Injections Needed?
Facet joints are small stabilising joints located between the vertebrae of your spine. They allow smooth movement and provide flexibility to your back and neck. When these joints become inflamed or worn (due to injury, arthritis, or degenerative changes), they can cause localised or referred pain.
A common treatment for facet joint pain, injections may be recommended if:
- You experience persistent neck, mid-back, or lower back pain.
- Your pain worsens when bending, twisting, or arching your spine.
- Previous imaging (such as MRI or CT scans) shows degenerative changes in the facet joints.
- Other treatments, including physiotherapy or medication, have not provided lasting relief.
These injections can be used both diagnostically, to confirm whether your facet joints are the source of pain, and also help to reduce inflammation and provide pain relief.
What to Expect from Facet Joint Injections
Before your procedure, your consultant will review your medical history and discuss the benefits and potential risks of facet joint injections with you. The procedure is usually performed under local anaesthetic, sometimes with light sedation.
Your doctor will use an antiseptic solution to clean the area, before injecting a local anaesthetic, allowing your doctor to give the facet joint injection with much less discomfort for you.
Your doctor will carefully insert the needle for the injection. They may inject dye (colourless contrast fluid) and take an X-ray to help them ensure the needle is in the right position. Sometimes your doctor will use an ultrasound scanner to help guide with needle placement.
A facet joint injection usually takes less than 30 minutes, and you can often go home the same day. Some patients feel immediate relief due to the local anaesthetic, but over several days the steroid component gradually takes effect and offers longer term improvements.
Recovery and Aftercare
Most patients can return to light activities within 24 hours of the injection. You may experience mild soreness or bruising at the injection site for a few days.
Your aftercare plan will include:
- Pain management – Over-the-counter pain relief will be recommended if needed.
- Activity guidance – Avoid strenuous activity or heavy lifting for the first 24–48 hours.
- Follow-up review – Your consultant will arrange a follow-up appointment to assess your response and discuss next steps, such as repeat injections or other treatments when appropriate.
If successful, facet joint injections can be repeated periodically as part of a broader pain management plan.
Consultants and Clinic Times
Dr Prabhu Gandhimani
Specialities
Pain Medicine
Mr Pratipal Kalsi
Specialities
Professor Marios Papadopoulos
Specialities
Neurosurgery, Spinal Surgery
Mr Christian Ulbricht
Specialities
Neurosurgery, Spinal Surgery
