re: Chronic Back Pain- Lumbar Facet Injections?

It will give you some relief for a short period of time, but a lot of times it comes back worse. Certainly not a long term fix.

Go see a PT.

Try some pot, not as strong as painkillers but definitely help a ton without the nasty side effects that come with painkillers. Will also give you an appetite and will definitely help with sleeping.

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Sadarade

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Correct.

Before the OP gets a facet injection, he should get a medial branch block (an injection to deaden the nerve that innervates the joint) to confirm the diagnosis of facet joint pain, and justify interventions aimed at the facets and/or their nerves.

If medial branch block doesn’t give relief, then pain is more likely from the disc.

(I know you know this, just clarifying for others)

My wife got injections 2 or 3 Times. I think it was because insurance wanted to ‘try it’ before they did the nerve burning. They both were successful, keeping her pain away, but the nerve burn has been more successful than the injections. It was 3-4 months between injections and 10-12 months between the nerve burn. She had the same problem in her lower facet joints, and both procedures helped her immensely.

God the inside of the human body pisses me off. So many tiny parts that can get fricked up and frick up the person as a whole.

lose weight, smoke weed, and the pain will be much less and easily regulated with limited activity

They will make your facet joints wear out faster

Try a round. But consider getting a fusion from a very good neurosurgeon. Get lots of reviews. I’d recommend the one I used to work for but he’s probably retired now

People really bragged about how much better they felt after his surgery. But people also came to him after having surgery by another doctor to fix them and there was nothing he could do

My mother-in-law had a spinal cord stimulator implanted last fall and is doing well with it. She's back pain free, though still complains about arthritis achiness and doesn't understand why she's not feeling like a teenager now. She's 83!

Levels of stim can be adjusted by an outside source as needed, but then she must stay on that setting for 2 weeks.

She was supposed to have her oxycodone Rx lowered following the surgery, but unfortunately is addicted psychologically and refuses to allow her doctor to adjust her meds (which weren't helping before the stimulator).

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Also I used to get bad back pain but I think that was from doing all of those 'back stretches' exercises. Then one day I saw someone suggest not stretching the back and gave some compelling reasons why, and after following that advice, I hardly ever get back problems. If I do, it is usually from sleeping funny.

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I’ve seen this advice for people who have a slipped disc, but it does not apply to other causes of back pain, like disc degeneration. Stretching & remaining active are key for most of us with degenerative disc disease/arthritis.

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No, you did not

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Well I landed on the small of my back and it caused a herniation of the L-4/L-5 disk jackass.

Are you a Doctor ?