Facet and Epidural Injection Differences

Living with chronic pain can make even the simplest tasks difficult and leave you begging for relief. Thankfully, there are a number of ways that chronic pain sufferers can find the relief they need.

Two options are facet injections and epidural injections. If you’ve seen both of these, you might be wondering what the difference between facet injection vs epidural is. Let’s take a closer look at the differences of facet vs epidural injections and which might be better for you.

Side By Side Comparison: Facet Vs. Epidural Injections

Let’s compare facet joint injection vs epidural injection side by side to see what they’re for, where they’re injected, and about how much they cost.

Facet Injection vs Epidural: What is it for?

When comparing facet injections vs epidural injections, one of the biggest differences is what they’re for.

Facet injections are primarily used for treatment and diagnosis of various arthritic and degenerative conditions. Specifically, such conditions that affect your facet joints in your spine and don’t extend to your lower extremities. Facet joint injections can be anesthetic or steroidal.

Epidural injections are used for the treatment of pinched nerves caused by sciatica or spinal stenosis. Sciatica is pain experienced in the area of the lower back down through the legs. Spinal stenosis is caused by the spine narrowing and creating pressure on the spinal cord.

Epidural injections can also be used for managing neck, leg, and arm pain caused by conditions like disc herniation or compression fractures.

Facet Injection vs Epidural: Where is it injected?

Another point of comparison between epidural vs facet joint injections is where the treatment is injected.

Facet injections are injected into very specific sets of joints and around the facet joints. These are small connections in the bones in your spine that nerves pass through.

Epidural injections, on the other hand, are injected into the epidural space near an affected nerve. The epidural space is the space between what is known as “dura matter” (the thick membrane that surrounds the brain and spinal cord) and the vertebrae of your spine.

Facet Injection and Epidural: How much does it cost?

The final point of comparison for facet vs epidural injections is the cost.

Epidural injections have prices ranging from around $100 to around $1500. This makes them a bit more affordable than facet injections, which cost anywhere from around $1000 to around $2000. However, prices vary based on where you live, who your doctor is, and what your treatment needs are.

Facet Vs. Epidural Injections: Which is Better?

When comparing facet joining injection vs epidural injection, neither option is necessarily better. The right choice for you will depend on a number of factors, such as the kind of pain you experience and its cause.

Whatever pain you’re experiencing, we’re here to help. Don’t hesitate to contact the best pain clinic in Des Moines today.