6 Modified Independence - Patient can be left alone for an entire day but may need some degree of supervision with new or complex activities. Routine activities can be pursued independently. Helper
You may resume normal activities the day after the procedure, unless otherwise directed by your physician. It may take a week or more for you to feel relief after a facet joint injection. Because of the diagnostic nature of a medial branch block, pain relief may start immediately but last only a few hours. Several weeks may be required to feel the full effect of a radiofrequency ablation procedure.
Usually, surgeons will have about 3 days blocked off for surgery and 2 days devoted to office hours for follow-up appointments or pre-operative consultations. The case load can vary, based on the type and complexity of surgeries performed, and can be anywhere from 150 per year up to 500 or more.