The lower spine is lined with small joints called lumbar facet joints. These joints contain medial nerves that submit pain signals to the brain when the joint has become inflamed.
A lumbar medial branch block is a numbing injection administered to the nerves of an inflamed facet joint in the lower back. The medication blocks’ pain signals, relieving lower back pain and sciatica. By undergoing a lumbar medial branch block, Turnersville patients can determine the exact location of their pain and create a plan for treating it. The numbing from a block injection is only temporary, usually lasting only hours. But despite its short term benefits, a lumbar medial branch block is highly useful as a trial procedure to determine whether a radiofrequency ablation can provide a patient with long term pain relief of up to six months or more.