What is facet joint syndrome?
Facet joint syndrome affects the spine and is a common cause of lower back pain. It can also affect the thoracic spine (upper back) and cervical spine (neck).
The facet joints are part of your vertebrae and enable your spine to bend and twist. Facet joint syndrome develops when something puts a strain on the joints and triggers inflammation and pain.
The symptoms of facet joint syndrome vary depending on the vertebrae involved:
Cervical facet joint syndrome
Facet joint syndrome in your neck can cause shoulder pain and headaches, as well as neck pain, and make it difficult to move your head around.
Thoracic facet joint syndrome
Facet joint syndrome in your upper back can restrict spinal movement, so you're unable to twist above the waist, making it hard to look left or right.
Lumbar facet joint syndrome
Facet joint syndrome in the lower back causes pain that might spread into your buttocks or down your thighs and is worse when you first start moving. It causes stiffness that affects your ability to stand up straight or rise from a sitting position and may give you a hunched posture when walking.
What causes facet joint syndrome?
Lumbar facet joint syndrome is often due to the wear-and-tear your spine suffers over the years. Degenerative disc disease, which affects the soft, shock-absorbent discs between your vertebrae, is frequently the root cause of facet joint deterioration.
Intervertebral discs have a high water content when you're young, but they dry out and get thinner with age. This loss of disc height affects the alignment of your facet joints, putting them under stress. Osteoarthritis in the joints makes the problem worse.
Cervical and thoracic facet joint syndrome can occur for the same reason but are often due to acute trauma, such as a whiplash injury in an auto accident.
How is facet joint syndrome treated?
The Pacific Sports and Spine team begins your treatment using conservative approaches. These may include physical therapies with stretching and strengthening exercises, plus anti-inflammatory medication.
These non-invasive treatments might be all you need to relieve the symptoms of facet joint syndrome. However, if your pain continues, your provider might recommend spinal injections containing steroids or a local anesthetic, such as medial branch blocks and facet joint injections.
Pacific Sports and Spine offers minimally invasive radiofrequency neurotomy and spinal cord stimulation for the most persistent symptoms of facet joint syndrome.
You can relieve back pain from facet joint syndrome with the help of the Pacific Sports and Spine team. Call the office or book an appointment online today.
