What Are Medial Branch Nerve Blocks

Medial branch blocks are diagnostic injections performed to identify painful lumbar facet joints. The purpose of the procedure is to pinpoint the exact area in the spine that the pain is radiating from that needs treatment.

The facet joints are little joints between the vertebra in the spine, they allow the spine to bend flex and twist and can be a common source of back pain. Medial branches are small nerves that carry pain impulses from the lumbar facet joints to the brain. I am highly experienced in performing medial branch injections. In preparation for the procedure the patient is positioned on their stomach.

The procedure is done under a local anesthetic that helps to numb the skin and deeper tissues around the facet joint that is suspected of causing the pain. This procedure can also be performed under sedation if the patient would like. Once the patient is numb I will use a special camera to guide the needle close to the lumbar medial branch. A small amount of local anesthetic is then injected around the medial branch nerve. The local anesthetic temporarily blocks the pain signals and helps in identifying the correct level of the set joints contributing to back pain. If the temporary injections relieves your pain I will then inject a more long-lasting. anesthetic and ultimately proceed with radiofrequency ablation.

For more information about this procedure or other questions about how Dr. ChatterjeeDr. Chatterjee can help you please contact our office to request an appointmentto request an appointment.