Common Risk factors for back pain
- smoking
- obesity
- older age
- female gender
- physically strenuous work
- sedentary work
- psychologically strenuous work
Treatment Options
- Staying Active
- Physical Therapy
- Mattress Choice: medium-firm
- Medications: Analgesics, SSRI's, muscle relaxants, Benzodiazepines, Antiepileptics, Glucosamine
- medial nerve blocks & Epidural Injection
- nerve stimulators
In cases where the facet joint itself is the pain generator, a medial nerve block injection can be performed to alleviate the pain. Similar to SNRB’s, medial nerve block injections are a diagnostic tool used to isolate and confirm the specific source of back pain for the patient. Additionally, median nerve blocks have a therapeutic effect as they numb the source of pain and soothe the inflammation for the patient.
The facet joints are paired joints in the back that have opposing surfaces of cartilage (cushioning tissue between the bones) and a surrounding capsule. Twisting injuries can cause damage to one or both facet joints, and cartilage degeneration associated with aging may also cause pain.
In a median nerve block procedure, a physician can use ultrasound to guide the needle close to the facet joint capsule to inject lidocaine (a numbing agent) and/or a steroid (an anti-inflammatory medication). If the patient’s pain goes away after the injection, it can be inferred that the pain generator is the specific facet joint capsule that has just been injected.
If the median nerve block procedure is effective in alleviating the patient's low back pain, it is often considered reasonable for the procedure to be done up to four times per year. There are very few risks associated with this technique.
We encourage you to contact us to evaluate your back pain in order to tailor treatment options that are right for you.