If
the facet joints(zygapophyseal joints) are suspected of being the source of
some or all of the spine related pain, these can be injected with anesthetic
and corticosteroids to see if the pain can be blocked or if an element of the
pain can be blocked. A successful block should lead to blocking of the medial
branches of the Dorsal nerve root that are fed by the facet joint. Subsequenty
if there is a positive response, the medial branches can be disrupted with heat
applied to the tissue at the end of the needle. The medial branches only transmit
pain signals from the facet joints. When these nerves are burned the signal
will be interrupted. They will grow back, but this usually takes several months
to a year and can result in long term pain relief, with repeat procedures as
indicated.
