What Are Medial Branch Blocks?

Are you living with chronic neck or back pain? If your answer is yes, then you probably know all too well the toll it can take on your quality of life. The good news is that — with the right treatment — relief is possible.

Chronic spine pain often stems from issues within your facet joints, which are small stabilizing joints located between and behind adjacent vertebrae. One effective diagnostic and therapeutic approach to managing this pain is the medial branch block. 

This procedure targets the medial branch nerves, which transmit pain signals from the facet joints to the brain. Blocking those nerves effectively prevents pain signals from reaching your brain.

Our team at Integrated Neurology Services — with offices in Alexandria, Falls Church, and Lorton, Virginia — offers this innovative treatment as part of our pain management services. Here’s what you need to know about them.

How medial branch blocks work

A medial branch block involves injecting a local anesthetic, sometimes combined with a steroid, near the medial branch nerves in your spine. Facet joints are a common source of chronic neck and back pain, and temporarily numbing these nerves with a medial branch block allows us to determine whether your facet joints are contributing to your pain.

The team at Integrated Neurology Services may recommend medial branch blocks to diagnose and manage pain associated with conditions like:

• Facet joint arthritis
• Facet joint syndrome
• Mechanical neck or low back pain arising from structural issues in your spine

If you experience significant pain relief with a medial branch block, it indicates that your facet joints are likely contributing to your discomfort. With this information, we can create a tailored pain management plan that targets your pain at the source.

The benefits of medial branch blocks

Medial branch blocks serve both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. First, the procedure can help us assess whether your facet joints are a source of pain or not. If your pain lessens or disappears following the block, there’s a good chance your facet joints are causing you pain.

And if your medial branch block provides temporary pain relief, you may be a good candidate for a more long-lasting treatment called radiofrequency ablation (RFA). It works similarly to medial branch blocks by disrupting the medial branch nerves' ability to transmit pain signals, but the effects are permanent.

What to expect during a medial branch block procedure

We do medial branch block procedures on an outpatient basis, which means you can go home shortly after your procedure is over.

To begin, you lie face-down on the exam table, and we clean the skin over the target area. Then we apply a local anesthetic to keep you comfortable.

Using fluoroscopic (X-ray) guidance, we insert a thin needle toward the medial branch nerves that are associated with the painful facet joint. Once the needle is in the right place, we administer the anesthetic, with or without a steroid, to block the medial branch nerves.

The entire procedure usually takes about 20-30 minutes, followed by a short observation period. Once you’re cleared, you can go home and resume your usual activities.

At Integrated Neurology Services, we specialize in comprehensive, personalized pain management strategies tailored to each patient's needs. Our team utilizes advanced image-guided procedures, including medial branch blocks, to accurately diagnose and effectively treat chronic pain conditions.

By focusing on the root cause of pain rather than just the symptoms, we aim to enhance our patients’ quality of life, and we’re here to help you, too. If you're experiencing persistent neck or back pain, set up a consultation with our team to learn more about your options. Call us at 703-313-9111, or send us a message online now.