# ~Lumbar Facet Block~



## Aliena (Nov 17, 2009)

I've been suffering from back pain for more than 10yrs. It has been a large contributing factor to my mobility issues and so I finally had x-rays done of my lower lumbar region. (where most of the pain is) The result? My lower lumbar region is deteriorating and has "acute" damage. 
The pain Dr. that I'm seeing has decided he would like to try a "lumbar facet block" on me; to be done on the 3rd of December. 

I was wondering if anyone has any experience with this procedure? Apparently they're going to run an ongoing x-ray while they stick a needle in my back to certain points (the facet?) and inject a steroid with a numbing agent. And yes, I will be sedated; by request upon given the choice. 

So, does anyone have any experience they're willing to share?


Thank you in advance!
~Dee


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## Miss Vickie (Nov 17, 2009)

I've heard of that procedure, one of my docs had it done recently, and it's helped her a lot. It's not a long term fix but it can buy you some time, and comfort, while they consider long term options.

You poor thing. I'm sorry you're suffering so, D. I hope this helps you; it's pretty uncomfortable at the time, so be prepared for that, but after the fact it's supposed to be fairly "miraculous" according to some folks I know who have had it.

Are they thinking about surgery in the long haul for you? What can they suggest to repair the damage to your back?


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## Aliena (Nov 19, 2009)

Miss Vickie said:


> I've heard of that procedure, one of my docs had it done recently, and it's helped her a lot. It's not a long term fix but it can buy you some time, and comfort, while they consider long term options.
> 
> You poor thing. I'm sorry you're suffering so, D. I hope this helps you; it's pretty uncomfortable at the time, so be prepared for that, but after the fact it's supposed to be fairly "miraculous" according to some folks I know who have had it.
> 
> Are they thinking about surgery in the long haul for you? What can they suggest to repair the damage to your back?





Thanks so much Vicki for your reply. Your insight is always valued and appreciated. :happy:

The Dr. has not even mentioned anything about surgery. All he told me is what he will do on the 3rd and what to expect. I went in there so unprepared, because the last pain doc I went to was just a real ass to me. I was nervous, bumbling, and most likely looked like an idiot. 

I do think I might end up having surgery on my right knee though. I've done been told by one Dr. (a sports medicine doc--another ass) I needed work done it, but I was too "fat" for the proceedure. (and yes, that's a direct quote)

Anyhoot, I'll keep you guys posted. Maybe by then I'll be a little more educated with what they're going to do.


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## SocialbFly (Nov 19, 2009)

I am not positive, but i think that this is similar to what AnnMarie had done, you might write to her...lordy, if i could get a pain block for my back, i would be there in ohhhhhh around 10 seconds!!!!

Good luck Dee!!


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## Aliena (Dec 16, 2009)

Well, I go in tomorrow and have the needles put in me back. I have to admit I'm really scared to death. I have a small phobia with needles. I did opt to have a sedative to calm me, but the thought of the pain of the needles going into my back scare me; just thought I'd let y'all know.


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## Aliena (Dec 18, 2009)

For those who may be curious, I had the proceedure and I am relatively surprised how much of a breeze it was. I was given four injections and only one of them about sent me flying off the table screaming; even after a double dose of relaxation med. The Dr. told me that he expected that particular shot to be painful, because this is where most of my damage is. 
The first day after the shot, I was in pain from where he stuck the needle in to the sore spot and couldn't really move. 
Yesterday, it was much better and this morning I notice that the focal point of my pain now is my knee. So to say the least, I'm very optimistic that this might actually work for me. 

By the way, my right knee has a lot of damage to it and needs its own work done. 
I go in, in 2wks for another round of injections and to have my pain reevaluated. I went immediately from a 7-pain level to a 2-3 pain level. Now I'm at a 4-5 pain level.


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## Jes (Dec 18, 2009)

Good for you! Pursuing treatment, even when it pays off in the end, can be scary, b/c it means we have to face some fears, but to me, it's worth it, and I'm glad you feel the same.


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## Risible (Dec 18, 2009)

And now the worst is behind you - the dread anticipation. I'm glad to hear of your positive results, Dee.


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## Miss Vickie (Dec 19, 2009)

I'm really glad it's helping you out! One of our docs had it done, as did a midwife, and both seem to be doing much better! So what's up with your knees? Are you going to get Synvisc?


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## SocialbFly (Dec 21, 2009)

so, how is your back?? details sister....


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## ssflbelle (Dec 28, 2009)

Aliena
I didn't have a Lumbar Facet Block so I can't say anything about it. I do hope it helped you and continues to help you. There is nothing worse than backpain to the point where you can't walk.
In Nov and Dec of 2008 I had a Radio frequency denervation for facet joint pain. The main pain down my spinal column stopped but the pain on my left side around to my hip increased. When I told the Dr this he said it was a muscle problem and to lay on a softball and move my left back side around the ball and would help the pain to go away. WRONG. I am still in incredible pain and am still using a scooter to this day. My insurance changes in Jan and I spoke with my Primary Dr today to recommend someone else for pain management as I can't stand it anymore. I am crying every day and really don't want to do anything as it will cause pain. Being all alone in this world with this terrible pain and without anyone to help with day to day task is really causing me to be so depressed my depressions meds aren't helping any more either. 
Aliena if you don't have relief please let your Dr know and keep insisting that you get the relief you need because living the life the way I have been this past year is pure hell.


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## AnnMarie (Dec 28, 2009)

This sounds like exactly what I had, but only the first step - the cortisone block .... I had to follow that with radio frequency nerve ablation for facet joint (the cortisone did not work for me as a solution). It is done with 8 large needles, full-time, live xray to see where they are and what they're doing. There is an injection of numbing, and steroid when doing the cortisone. However, it's the same procedure for the ablation, except instead of the injection the needles are heated and they sear the nerve to stop the muscle spasms.

Here's a post I made about it: 


I was diagnosed with Facet Joint syndrome, pretty much summed up here for my case: 

A protective reflex arrangement arises when the facets are inflamed which causes the nearby muscles that parallel the spine to go into spasm. We therefore see inflamed facet joints causing crooking and out-of posture of the back, along with powerful muscle spasm. Manually &#8216;correcting’ this spinal curvature actually depends on relaxing the spastic muscles and not a rearrangement of bony structures.

Link, but there are tons and tons of pages on this: 
http://www.spine-health.com/conditio...-and-back-pain

I was first sent to physical therapy and my results were limited. It worked a bit and I definitely got more core strength, but the "sticking" (as I call it) never stopped. I got stuck all the time, generally with foot/leg movements, or if I wasn't perfectly upright or perfectly bent over. I had no midline at all for bending, it was up right, then pain, pain, pain, bent over. I wasn't able to hold myself up without putting my hands on my hips to stabilize, etc. 

The stuck epiosodes happened all the time - going upstairs, walking in the house, getting in or out of the car (moreso getting out). I could amble down stairs very slowly, but not well and the wrong foot movement would get me stuck. 

When I say stuck, I don't mean just frozen, I mean frozen because the pain was SEARING in my back, further movement felt like the pain would get so bad I'd die. It was stuck for survival, if that makes any sense. Dead stop because if I do any more of whatever I'm doing, I'll keel over. Sometimes stopping movement would stop the pain, and I'd be able to back out of the position, or sometimes it wouldn't give at all and the pain would just go on and on or I'd be in a position where I couldn't easily get out of it, like in between sitting and laying on a bed - just yelping because I couldn't get up or down. 

It was just so bad, I wish I could explain better, but it was totally debilitating. 

I stopped physical therapy when I was diagnosed with a large ovarian tumor, and they suspected it may be causing the pain. It wasn't, but I healed and moved on. The pain never stopped... post-surg with that pain was REAL fun. 

So then I got fed up, and my mother dragged me to a spine and pain center, they diagnosed the facet joint. 

I was treated with cortisone injections on each side, about 8 needles that go in different spots on either side, one side at a time. I had limited results, better, but still stuck a lot. 

Eventually we moved to radio frequency nerve ablation (http://www.christianaspinecenter.com/csc-ablation.html), and it saved my ass. The second side being done was when I turned a corner. It takes a while after the burning to heal from it and have the effect work, but when it kicked in, it kicked in. 

I lived on 3-4 800mg Motrin a day for 2 years just to try to keep something under control (never really worked, but was worse off it) and I haven't taken a motrin in months and months other than for headache or something. 


Can't say enough how happy I am that the treatment worked and so well. I will go in for a redo at the first sign it's returning (and it will, the nerves regenerate at different rates - they tell you 6 mos to 3 years... fingers crossed!)

Ask anything else I may have skipped, I'm glad to answer. __________________


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