Does a radiology perform a facet joint injection?

Facet joints are small joints at the back of the spine. An injection places local anaesthetic, sometimes with an anti-inflammatory medicine, near the selected joint. Image guidance helps the clinician identify the target and avoid nearby structures. The injection may be used to investigate whether a facet joint contributes to back or neck pain and may offer temporary symptom relief.

The clinician reviews your symptoms, examination, scans, medicines, allergies, infection history, and bleeding risk before proceeding. Tell the team if you take blood thinners, have diabetes, could be pregnant, or have an active infection.

Follow instructions about eating, drinking, medicines, transport, and activity. Ask whether you should record your pain and movement before and after the injection, because that information can help interpret the response. Arrange follow-up with the clinician who is managing your spine problem.

Keep the injection area clean and follow the discharge advice. Temporary soreness can occur. Avoid changing prescribed medicines or exercising aggressively until you know what restrictions apply to you.

Seek prompt advice for increasing redness, warmth, swelling, drainage, fever, or pain at the injection site. Get urgent help for new leg or arm weakness, loss of bladder or bowel control, severe headache, breathing difficulty, facial swelling, or a rapidly worsening allergic reaction.

Ask: Which facet joint is being targeted, and why? Will imaging guide the needle? What medicines will be injected? How could the response change my treatment plan? Which medicines should I pause, and what symptoms after the procedure need urgent attention?