Cervical Facet Pain Treatment
in Tulsa, Oklahoma

Cervical facet joints are small paired joints located on the back of each vertebra, two at every level of the neck (C2 through C7). They guide and limit neck motion while bearing a portion of the load during head movement. Each joint is lined with cartilage and surrounded by a capsule that contains pain-sensitive nerve fibers. Because these joints are so densely innervated, even modest arthritic change in them can generate significant pain.

Looking up (extending the neck) closes down the facet joints and loads them directly, which is why patients with cervical facet syndrome typically notice flares with activities like painting a ceiling, washing hair, or backing up a car. Rotation to the painful side also compresses the facet on that side. In contrast, discogenic pain often worsens with flexion (looking down). This mechanical pattern is one of the ways Dr. Bhakta distinguishes facet pain from disc-related pain during examination.

Both target the cervical facet pain circuit, but at different points. A facet injection places medication directly into the joint itself, while a medial branch block anesthetizes the tiny nerves (medial branches) that carry pain signals from the facet joint. Medial branch blocks are primarily diagnostic, if they reliably relieve pain, it confirms the facet as the source and qualifies the patient for radiofrequency ablation. Facet injections tend to be both diagnostic and therapeutic at once.

Cervical radiofrequency ablation typically provides 6 to 18 months of meaningful pain relief, with many patients falling in the 9-12 month range. Duration varies because the treated medial branch nerves eventually regenerate. When they do, symptoms can return and the procedure can be safely repeated. Dr. Bhakta's patients who respond well to their first RFA can usually count on comparable relief with each subsequent treatment.

Yes, and this is actually the most common presentation. Cervical facet syndrome often develops gradually from age-related wear, repetitive strain, postural overload (desk work, phone use), or as a secondary result of disc-height loss that throws more load onto the facets. Many patients cannot recall any specific injury, they simply notice that neck pain and stiffness have been building over months or years. This doesn't make the diagnosis any less clear or the treatment any less effective.

Cervicogenic headaches commonly present as one-sided because the upper cervical facet joints (especially C2-C3 and C3-C4) refer pain to the same-side scalp and base of the skull. Unlike migraines, cervicogenic headaches often feel deeply related to neck position and can be reproduced by pressing on the upper cervical facets. Targeted injections or radiofrequency ablation of the involved facet nerves can provide significant headache relief when cervical joints are the driver.