Medial Branch Block Injection

A medial branch nerve block is a procedure in which an anesthetic agent (numbing medication) is injected near small medial nerves connected to a specific facet joint. This procedure helps diagnose back or neck pain coming from a facet joint. If the patient experiences marked pain relief immediately after the injection, then the facet joint is determined to be the source of the patient's pain. This type of injection is typically done to determine if a procedure called a Neurotomy or Rhizotomy can be used to provide longer lasting pain relief than an injection of the facet joint.