Medial branch blocks and facet joint injections are both used to diagnose and treat back or neck pain originating from the facet joints, but they target different structures. A medial branch block involves injecting a small amount of anesthetic near the medial branch nerves that supply the facet joints. These nerves carry pain signals from the joints to the brain. By numbing the medial branch nerves, doctors can determine whether the facet joints are the source of the pain—if the pain relief is significant, it suggests the facet joints are involved. This
procedure is primarily diagnostic, although temporary pain relief may also occur.
In contrast, a facet joint injection involves injecting medication directly into the facet joint itself. This typically includes a mixture of a local anesthetic and a steroid to reduce inflammation within the joint. Facet injections are both diagnostic and therapeutic: they can help confirm the joint as the pain source while also providing longer-term pain relief by
reducing inflammation. While both procedures are image-guided and minimally invasive, medial branch blocks are often the first step in evaluating pain prior to performing a more permanent solution like radiofrequency ablation.
