Im 23 and love my sports, I was coping well with the left side pain and doing swimming and a few light weights now and again, I was also playing football, but ever since this last injection (causing the pain on the right side as well as the left) I have had to give it all up!!

Sombody must have had facet joint steroid injections before that can give me some advice?

Rank ~

I am sorry you have gotten no reply yet to your post. I was waiting a bit to see if you would. I have to tell you that you will not be getting many if any replies here.


I have had facet injections but mine were for diagnostic purposes and proved my pain was not coming from my facet joints because the injections never helped my pain.

Imshirl

thanks for your reply. My injections were also for diagnostic purposes.
Ive always had pain in my left side for 3 years so they decided to do a diagnostic facet joint injection on my left side right at the very bottom of my spine. This however did not ease my pain so they decided to repeat the injection and give me an injection on my right hand side.
Ever since the latest ones ive now been getting pain on my right hand side?
The pain is so bad I can hardly stand up straight. And im now also getting a burning in my groin from the injections.
Thanks for the links
al

Imshirl

did you experience any permanent worsening of your pain from the facet joint injections?

For example burning in your groin?, aching in where your legs join your hips? Aching in the facet joints themselves?

Also did you have your left and right side done?

Im begining to think my original back pain wasnt that bad and these injections have increased my pain

Rank1 ~

no, my pain was not worse from the facet joint injections. The groin pain you are having is what I had before and after the facet injections and I actually had horrible groin pain twice. The first time it was so bad I spent 4 days in the hospital because of the pain, I couldn't walk or even move for that matter because of pain. The pain went away after my anterior lumbar fusion with bak cages at l4-5 and l5-s1. Three years later the pain came back slowly and I ended up having posterior lumbar fusion which was this last may where I had micro movement posterior and this movement caused bone spurs and these bone spurs cause the pain. The surgery in may he put rods and screws from l3-s1.

Back to the injection... I had both sides (l4-s1) done at the same time.

Imshirl
thanks again for your reply. Its nice to know sombody has had the same thing done.
Sounds like youve had alot done to your back surgically wise, is your pain any better for it now?

The groin pain is very strange and im absolutely positive 100% that its come on after facet injections.Im hoping this will go away.

I also get another strange pain, its on the left hand side and right hand side of my hips where my leg joins into the hip.Its very sensitive (only after facet injections) and if I wear any tight boxer shorts or anything the pain really hurts me, as soon as I take them off the pain eases.

Im really hoping all this pain goes away as I know the joint injections are the culprit and it hurts now when I bend after having injections.

Nobody seems to wanna help me, everytime I contact my docter he says he doesnt know, I can never get hold of the person who conducted the injection,the specialist who organsided the injection I cant get hold off, I feel kinda like an abandoned pin cushion. My other half has now left me because of all the stress bought on by it and ive had to give up my sports.

Rank1 ~

yes, I do feel much better now after each of the surgeries. I know I will never be pain free but I am sure a lot better now. I am only 42 y/o right now and have been dealing with spine problems for at least 10 plus years now. Thank god I have a very supportive husband and kids. I know there are many who suffer spine problems and there spouse or partner has left.That is really sad and I am so sorry it has happened to you. What the heck do these people think??? What if it was them who suffered and how would they feel? Sad, sad, and sad.

I see you are from the uk and I hear it takes months to get proper medical care including mri's and so on? When was your last mri or any other tests? How long ago was your facet injections? If it has been awhile ago then the pain from the injections should be gone. I wonder if the person who did the injections screwed up and that is why you can't get a hold of him/her?

I also hear of so many who feel like you and that they feel abandoned. I thank my lucky stars have a great ns meaning also that he cares about my well being and makes sure I am comfortable and all my questions answered. Please check out the other forums I gave you and I am sure you will find more support and people from the uk who might be able to help you on what to do next.

I'm sorry I have not been much help to you but please know I care.


Imshirl

Imshirl

thanks again for the reply. It makes me feel better to speak to sombody about it, especially sombody with experience like you. Im glad you feel your pain is somewhat better now after going through all your back surgery and its good you have a family willing to support you.

My other half left me because our life was totally different before I hurt my back and suddenly having to curb all our activitys because of me had a massive affect. Also had an affect on our sex life. Basically she got bored of me and wanted more things in life which I couldnt give her at this moment in time due to the pain so she went out and found sombody else.

I know my pain is life threateningly serious but pain is pain and it hurts all the time also watching all my mates play football and going down the gym etc makes me feel down. I find excersise is the only way of relieving my stress.

It takes a while to get things done on the nhs over here long wating lists etc, I find its best to go privatly for a consultation costing approximately about £160 and then get the consultant to transfere you over to his/her nhs department, this way things get done quicker. The facet joint injections I had were done start of august time and doc said if somthing has been irratated by the injection maybe it may take a while for my body to heal itself.

I will check out and sign up for the other forum links you gave me they sound interesting.

Nice to know you care and nice to know you went through the same thing with no pain, maybe all will be okay in the end.

Do you have to pay for your medical treatment in u.S?

Thanks again
al

P.S meant to say my pain isnt life threatening, hopefully!!

I am scheduled for injections. I do not know much about them. I do know that I am hesitant about getting them. I have heard of a man getting them done and getting paralyzed. I am going to go research it some more. All I know is that when they do the injection they are looking at an xray maching and not your spine. You are also awake but drugged a little. Sorry this is all I can do to help.

Hi jujubee23 ~

what would you like to know about facet injections? When are you having them done? What area of the spine will you have them done? Try not to think about this person who was paralyzed to much. Try to think positive. Things can happen like that to anyone. The spine is difficult to work on but do the research, make sure the doctor doing them is very good at it. Is a pain management doctor doing them for you? You mean fluoroscopic guidance when talking about the x-ray machine.

facet joint injections
typically, facet joint injections are performed as a part of a workup for back or neck pain. Since many patients do not have a readily identifiable cause for pain based on imaging studies and clinical evaluation, a stepwise process of different paraspinal injections is often performed. This process may include facet injections; epidural injections; selective nerve root blocks (snrbs); and, in certain patients, discography.

The injection of local anesthetic and steroids into the facet joint is diagnostic and potentially therapeutic. When optimally performed, the injection is made directly into the joint space, though for generations anesthesiologists have been successful in injecting around the joint. Pain relief following a precise intra-articular injection confirms the facet joint as the source of pain. Although some physicians advocate the use of only local anesthetic, most practitioners inject steroids as well, attempting to provide longer pain relief. Long-term relief (6 mo) can be obtained in 30-50% of patients.

Patients referred for facet injections most often have degenerative disease of the facet joints. However, even if the facet joint appears radiologically normal, facet injections still may be of use, as radiologically occult synovitis can cause facet pain, particularly in younger patients. Postlaminectomy syndrome, or nonradicular pain occurring after laminectomy, is also an acceptable reason to perform facet injections.

Patients with lumbar facet pain (so-called facet syndrome) typically present with back, buttock, or hip pain. If the patient has only back pain, this pain may radiate into the buttocks or hips, and the pain is typically worse with extension. A useful test is to ask patients to push the pelvis forward while standing with their hands on their hips because this movement typically reproduces facet-mediated pain. Radiculopathy, leg weakness, and leg numbness are not considered part of the facet syndrome and suggest nerve root compression, although this may be secondarily caused by facet hypertrophy.

Occasionally, synovial cysts (out-pockets of the facet joint synovium) may be symptomatic. Most often, they cause foraminal or spinal stenosis. Typically, on t2-weighted mris, synovial cysts are seen as rounded areas of increased signal intensity with a peripheral rim of decreased signal intensity. These cysts are located adjacent to a facet joint. The injection of steroids into the associated facet joint is effective in resolving synovial cysts in 30-40% of patients, although repeated injections may be necessary.

Cervical facet pain is not characterized as easily as lumbar facet pain, and it can occur with a variety of symptoms, depending on the level and the individual patient. Headaches, neck muscle spasms, and general or focal neck pain can originate from the facet joints. This pain is typically worse when patients extend or turn their neck. In particular, the upper cervical facets can often cause occipital headaches. As in the lumbar spine, radiculopathy or arm weakness and/or numbness should suggest an alternate diagnosis.



Requiring fluoroscopic guidance
certain injections require fluoroscopy or some other form of x-ray guidance
and cannot otherwise be performed. These injections include:

selective nerve root block
transforaminal epidural steroid injection
sacroiliac joint injection
lumbar sympathetic block
celiac ganglion block
spinal facet joint block
intervertebral disc injection
trigeminal block
neurolytic block
radiofrequency neuroablation

On my experience dont have the injections unless you know for sure your pain is coming from your facet joints.
I have pian for 3 years inleft side and right side has been perfectly healthy, I had the injection in the left side and it didnt make any difference. Then I decided to go for repeat injection in left side and somhow during the procedure my right side got injected. After all this the second injection on the left seems to have eased my pain a fair bit but my right side has been permenently painful, theres evidence in itself that injecting into a healthy joint is not good at all.
Maybe my was a one off but im not sure.
I think my nerves have been irratated by the injections,i may opt for the procedure where they can heat the nerves away,im not sure yet I will find out what happens on my next specialist appointment.
Al

Its like a constant burning in the spot on the right hand side where they done the injection.
I dont have any limited movement at all in my back it just burns all the time and aches.Im really anoyed because ive had to stop my swimming and light gym work due to one injection.

I had facet injections beginning of this week and I also feel like the injections have made my pain worse, i'm feeling exactly what you spoke about i.e. ache in lower back, groin and tops of legs where they meet my hips. The pain seems worse when i'm not moving but on the other hand gets sore if i'm moving too much.
Has your pain setted down yet? Have you had any other treatments?
I've already had part of the disc at L4/5 removed 10 years ago but don't know what to think about these injections!!!!!!
Any help would be appreciated
S

Hi sorry to hear you are feeling the same pain.

The pain has not got any better. The pain is just coming from the small holes in the muscle caused by the injections.
Everytime you use the muscles in this area it is painful/stiff/tight.
Likewise if you sit around they also get tight etc.
The holes are caused by the injection needles scarring the muscle and not healing properly. (I was shown these holes on an mri scan after complaining many times of the pain caused by them).
I originally just had my left side facet joint injected as this was where my original pain was (the pain I went in for has now gone, I am just left with pain from injections now).
Then I was schedualed for a repeat injection on the left side but due to a communication mix up at the hospital I had my right side injected also.
Now I have this pain caused by the injections on both sides.
I have had diagnostic injections elsewhere but they didnt hurt at all during or after procedure.

I find in the mornings it is always tight and painful. I do lots of stretches and when I excercise I have to break through the pain barrier.
I do some weights to keep my back strong and swimming.
Whatever excersise I do somtimes makes this pain feel better and somtimes worse but it is always tight in the mornings and throughout the day.
I plan on seeing another specialist to find out why they injected my right side when I didnt need it and also to find out if they can take this pain away that they have caused.
Hope this helps

Hello Rank,

Sorry to read about the pain you are having from your facet joint injections.

May I ask where on/in your back you had the injections? What was injected?

I ask the above questions because I fortunately have not experienced this. My epidural injections have contained lidocaine to numb the injection site and the corticosteroid Kenalog to reduce the inflammation. My first epidural was to the L3/L4 disc area for a pinched nerve. A slight amount of pain during the injection, but NO pain after the injection.

For the next two injections that I have had were to the S1/L5 area. My doc went up my tailbone for those injections. Even less pain than the first injection, and NO pain after the injections.

I'm no doctor, but something doesn't seem right that you should be experiencing so much pain from the injections. Ever think of changing doctors? I know I would. WHOOPS, just noticed that you ARE going to see another specialist. Make sure you select your PM doc with care. It takes a doc with great skill and expertise to make the injection properly, AND it MUST be done with the doc using a fluoroscope.

It is ALL that intense exercising that you do that makes me concerned. Has this been approved by your doctor?

RichT

Hi RichT,

I had multiple diagnostic injections to find the problem area of the pain I was getting.
However the original pain has now gone and like I say im left with pain at 2 injection sites in the same area.
The injections I had in my si joint and other areas of my back did not hurt during or after procedure. However the injections I had in my facet joints at the very bottom of my back (I cant remember the name of them I think maybe l4-s5?) were very painful during the procedure as the injection went through deep tissue and has been constant pain ever since.
The injections have left 2 small holes which as far as im aware is normal but the pain which is meant to subside has never gone away and is as painful now as it was during procedure and after.

As for the excersise I stay within my limits and dont push myself to much. The weight I lift is for toning purposes and not too heavy.
I go swimming once maybe twice a week.
I have to to the above otherwise I get very down about the pain.
thanks for the reply m8