Facet Joint Injections - Anyone had success?

My Primary put me on Cymbalta and so far it’s helping with my pain. Gabapentin did nothing but make me feel yucky.

Anyone have experience with injections of hyluronic acid ?

I can only give you my experience. I developed spinal stenosis about 4 years ago. About a year later I had an operation. The doctor didn't promise success. He was pleased with his operation. I went from 16 pills a day to about 4 or 5. I guess that is success.

I've been trying different things since. The latest is the combination of accupuncture with lazar. After the first treatment, I thought, "Hmm, this might work." Then after successive treatments, I started having more good days than bad. I have to remember to take my Tramadol/Acetominophin before pain kicks in.

What I'm suggesting is that you don't give up after the first treatment.

In hindsight, I wish someone had told me to not try to ge toff my painkillers too soon. Life would have been better. I got zip advice from my surgeon, and not a lot from my family doctor.

I was determined to get off my painkillers because I was worried that I might get addicted. I finally decided, "Who cares? At my age, so what!"

Best of luck.

@predictable, could you please give me more information about the type of facet injection you had in your lumbar spine that helped diagnose your sacroiliac inflammation? I have severe lumbar stenosis pain that was remedied considerably this past spring by a MILD procedure at L4-L5. Then I was sent to PT, and I am now in major pain again. My pelvis is definitely rotated, and I have issues in the central spine and at facets on several levels, including at L5-S1. Physicians have repeatedly tried to deal with my stenosis issues with PT, and while most has not been as harmful as this most-recent go-round, it has been useless at best and frequently has set me back. I really feel that physical therapists don't quite know what to do with me once their tried-and-true exercises prove harmful, and I think I need the kind of diagnostic technique you underwent. All details will be helpful -- I will take them right away to my pain doc for consideration!

I'm coming to this discussion in total ignorance, having never heard of facet injections. Can someone please tell me exactly what kind of medication is injected? Is it always corticosteroid? Or can other things be injected? I have severe osteoporosis as well as the lumbar stenosis, so am supposed to stay away from steroids as much as possible.

Hi @bayhorse. Sorry to hear of your back pains, and all the more sorry that my case may not have been of much help in situations like yours. Like you, I was being diagnosed for treatment of lumbar region vertebral problems, but my PCP -- not my spinal doctor -- had a similar case in which the patient was getting no relief from spine-focused treatment. She turned instead to the joint between the sacrum (pelvic bone at the very bottom of the spine) and the iliac bone of the pelvis (attached to the sacrum at the relatively long facet joint). This sacroiliac joint sometimes gets inflamed for long periods of time, and it spreads pain up into the lumbar region. She injected an anti-inflammation medicine in that joint, and in a couple of weeks my pain was cured. It hasn't been back since -- for several years. Hope this offers you a question for your spinal doctor to consider. Martin

Have any of you had manual help from an osteopath ? It has helped me…not a cure-all but makes things less painful and more manageable.

I am so glad to see this conversation because I am learning so much from it. I had a very bad experience with spine shots, including a facet injection. Afterwards I began reading everything I could find to try to figure out what went wrong. The docs had told me that the nerve blocks were "minor" procedures and that I would be relaxed and comfortable. Boy was that wrong! I was crying out in intense pain every time they stabbed me. The doctor didn't stop. He never hesitated or said a word. He never tried to help me or ask me what was wrong. I read a recent study based on patient reports that contradicts doctor reports about spinal injections. Docs say they work great and are no problem. Patients report the exact opposite, giving those injections only a 50% rate of success. I will never let anybody stab me in the back again, that's for sure. I don't understand why they lie to patients. Maybe they just want the fees. The injections didn't do anything for me except put me into PTSD. On the positive side, lumbar stretches really helped the pain. Also I have found I can walk without pain if I am careful about posture. I heard about Esther Gokhale's book, 8 Steps to a Pain Free Back. Her method of "glidewalking" works great for me. Does anyone know anything positive about nerve blocks? I have had several nerve blocks for foot surgery and they are excruciating. So many docs don't seem to care what they put patients through. When I find one that cares and tells me the truth up front, I thank my lucky stars and hang on to that one.

Thank you for this information, @predictable! I will share it with my doc. Wishing you all the best...

There is another option for certain conditions- hyluronic acid…often used for knees but other things as well. Not a steroid, acts like body’s natural fluids…some people have had success with it and fewer side effects. But, all injections are temporary.