A corticosteroid is injected directly into the facet joint. The facet joints can be a source of lower back pain.
Unfortunately the research on facet joint injections is not stellar. There is no evidence that facet injections are beneficial for pain attributed to the facet joint.
Recent guidelines for the treatment of low back pain recommend NOT doing facet joint injections because there is no proof that they reduce pain or improve function.
In fact, entire countries are beginning to recommend not doing the injections because they are usually not beneficial.
Despite the research and clinical practice guidelines facet joint injections remain common in spinal medicine.
FAQS
That depends on you and your doctor. An injection that targets the nerve supply to the facet joint may be considered. Another consideration might be radiofrequency nerve ablation.
There is no specific time frame for how long facet joint injections last. There is not any clear evidence in the medical literature that facet joint injections are even effective. A recent review of the medical literature found no indication that facet joint injections are effective. The latest treatment guidelines recommend not doing facet joint injections because they are not effective. Despite the evidence of facet joint injections being ineffective, they do help some people. If the injections do reduce pain the relief may last weeks or months.
A corticosteroid is injected into the facet joint of the spine. The injection can be intra-articular (inside the joint) or extra-articular (outside of the joint, around the joint capsule).
While there is no compelling evidence that facet joint injections are effective at reducing lower back pain, they do benefit some people. If they are going to work people will notice decreased low back pain within a day or two to one week of getting the injections. The pain relief may last for weeks or months. Everyone is different. When the injections are not effective people do not notice a reduction in pain.
References
Chou R, et al., Pain Management Injection Therapies for Low Back Pain, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, March 15, 2015; http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0073206/
Snidvongs S, et al. Facet-joint injections for non-specific low back pain: A feasibility RCT, Health Technology Assessment, 2017; 21(74):1–130. doi:10.3310/hta21740.
Snidvongs S, et al. Lumbar Facet Joint Injections for the Management of Chronic Low Back Pain: An Overview of Practice Guidelines in the United Kingdom and a Critical Appraisal of Published Systematic Reviews. Presented at the World Congress on Pain, Boston, 2018; as yet unpublished.
