A Cervical Facet Block is used to relieve pain in the facet joints in the cervical spine (neck). When the joints in the spine become inflamed, they can become irritated and cause pain. This injection is used for relief of patients that suffer with degenerative joint disease or arthritis. In many cases, cervical facet blocks are meant to be both therapeutic and diagnostic.
The appointment time for a Cervical Facet Block is approximately 45-60 minutes all together. There are 3 different stages to the appointment.
After your procedure, you are asked to rest for the remainder of the day and avoid any strenuous activities. Tenderness at the site of needle insertion may occur, in which case ice may be applied for 20 minutes every hour if necessary. Normal activities can be resumed the following day without restrictions.
Certain procedures may be performed with local anesthesia. Your provider will discuss the necessity of this with you at your appointment prior to scheduling the procedure.