What it is. Facet joints are small joints at the back of the spine in the neck, mid back and lower back. They can become painful with arthritis or strain. First, local anaesthetic may be placed on the tiny nerves that supply the joints (a medial branch block) to test whether they are the source of your pain. If your pain eases for a time, radiofrequency treatment uses controlled heat at the tip of a thin needle to switch off those nerves for longer.
Who it may help. People with neck or back pain thought to come from the facet joints, who have had a good but short-lived response to test blocks.
Radiofrequency treatment of the facet joint nerves is explained on the Radiofrequency Denervation page.