Medial Branch Block: A Diagnostic Test for Facet Pain: How It Works, Explained Simply

Video Transcript

If your back or neck pain seems to come from the small facet joints of the spine, a medial branch block helps confirm it. Here's the important part: this is not really a treatment. It's a test. Each facet joint is fed by two tiny nerves called medial branches, which carry its pain signals. Under live X-ray, a small amount of numbing medicine is placed right on those nerves. No steroid is used. Because each joint has two medial branches, two of them are numbed for every joint being tested. Then you go about your day and track your pain. If it drops sharply for a few hours, those joints are the likely source. That relief is temporary by design. The numbing wears off, and that is exactly what's expected. To be sure, the block is usually repeated on another day. Two clear positive responses point to the real pain generator. And a positive block is the green light for a longer-lasting treatment called radiofrequency ablation. This video is for general education only. It is not medical advice. Ask your doctor what's right for you.