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Member
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Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Paradise
Posts: 855
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Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Paradise
Posts: 855
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My analogy is that I have CRPS in my right arm and hand from a shoulder surgery that damaged my brachial plexus. For treatment, I have now had 9 stellate ganglion blocks (in my neck) and 3 cervical epidurals and I can definitively say that I have only experienced pain relief, temporary (but I'll take it), and absolutely no exacerbation of my right upper extremity CRPS.
So while there is no reliably perfect answer on any of this BS, I would think you would probably be okay to get a lumbar facet block, although I am sure that everyone especially the PM doc, will tell you that there are no guarentees!
A good clinical exam to raise the level of likelihood of the diagnosis of a facet issue, would best be done by a spine fellowship trained orthopedist or a board-certified chiropractic orthopedist. Either one would be able to tell you if there is a good clinical suspicion to warrent a facet block. Otherwise it is a shot in the dark (no pun intended)! If you do have a facet syndrome going, a facet block could be both diagnostic and therapeutic.
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