A 39-year-old female asked:
My husband has 4 ruptured disc in the lumbar and his dr is wanting to do a lumbar facet joint injections will this help him? this is a new dr that has just seen him 1 time. my husband has had 2 mri's and he has had this problem for 5 years
1 doctor answer • 4 doctors weighed in
Dr. Carl Spivakanswered
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 30 years experience
Back : Back pain maybe caused by the disks, facet joints, muscles, nerves, spinal cord not to mention other organ systems. Facet joint arthritis is a common cause of back pain and often responds well to injections, radiofrequency burning of facet nerves and endoscopic rhizotomy cutting of facet nerves. Please see my avvo health guide on facet disease.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.3k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Kornelis Poelstra commented
Orthopedic Spine Surgery 26 years experience
The fact that there are 'ruptured' discs, might have nothing to do with his pain. There are lots of people with torn discs (a normal phenomenon of aging) and no pain at all, and having an image finding with abnormal discs should not lead to him becoming a pin-cushion. There can be many another reason that make him hurt, and maybe a second opinion with a good physical exam might help.
Feb 13, 2013
Last updated Apr 7, 2019
People also asked
Connect with a U.S. board-certified doctor by text or video anytime, anywhere.
$44 video appointments with $19/month membership*
*Billed $57 every 3 months. Cancel anytime.
Disclaimer:
Content on HealthTap (including answers) should not be used for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and interactions on HealthTap do not create a doctor-patient relationship. Never disregard or delay professional medical advice in person because of anything on HealthTap. Call your doctor or 911 if you think you may have a medical emergency.
