What is Cervical Facet Joint Pain?

 

Cervical facet joints are small, paired joints at the back of the neck that help guide movement and provide stability. With age, injury, or repetitive strain, these joints can become inflamed or arthritic, resulting in neck pain often referred to as cervical facet joint pain.

This pain is typically mechanical in nature, triggered or worsened by movement, poor posture, or prolonged positioning of the neck.

What are the symptoms?

You may experience:
  • Aching or stiffness in the neck, particularly first thing in the morning or after periods of inactivity
  • Pain that worsens with turning the head, tilting, or looking up
  • Pain on one side of the neck, sometimes radiating to the shoulder or upper back
  • In some cases, headaches at the base of the skull (cervicogenic headache)

How is it diagnosed?

Diagnosis is based on a combination of:

  • A detailed clinical history and physical examination to assess posture, movement, and tenderness
  • Imaging (such as MRI or CT scans) may be used to rule out more serious or structural causes of neck pain. It’s important to note that imaging findings often do not correlate directly with pain levels.
  • A diagnostic medial branch block may be offered to confirm whether the cervical facet joints are responsible for your symptoms

What treatments do we offer?

We provide a range of targeted, minimally invasive treatments to relieve the cervical facet joint pain and improve quality of life:

1. Diagnostic Medial Branch Nerve Blocks

  • A small amount of local anaesthetic is injected near the medial branch nerves that Carry pain signals from the cervical facet joints
  • Relief following this injection helps confirm the facet joints as the pain source
  • This is a key step before considering radiofrequency treatment

2. Radiofrequency Denervation (Rhizolysis)

  • If you respond well to the diagnostic block, we may offer radiofrequency denervation
  • This involves applying heat to deactivate the pain-carrying nerves, providing relief that can last 6–12 months or longer
  • It does not affect movement or strength, and can be repeated if effective

3. Medication Optimisation

  • We focus on minimising medication side effects and improving overall treatment
    effectiveness
  • We offer support to review and optimise your current medications
  • Our clinic does not prescribe opioids or pregabalin, as per local guidelines — these must be managed by your GP

4. Self-Management and Rehabilitation Advice

  • Advice is provided to support posture correction, neck mobility, and gentle strengthening
  • We often recommend follow-up with physiotherapy or guided home exercises once pain is under control

What to expect from treatment

  • Most patients experience significant pain relief and improved movement following
    the correct combination of diagnostic and interventional treatments
  • Procedures are minimally invasive and performed as day cases
  • Treatments such as radiofrequency denervation may delay or avoid the need for
    surgery
  • Maintenance therapy may include repeated treatment if pain recurs over time