Facet joint pain is a symptom of a problem. While we want to end the pain, the only way to keep it from returning is to find and correct the underlying cause...

Facet joints connect your vertebrae together. They provide a smooth slippery surface allowing you to bend and twist. And they limit your range of motion just enough to prevent accidental injury of your spinal cord.

When they hurt, it can seriously impact your ability to move normally. A painful cervical facet joint can immobilize your neck, cause an ache in your shoulder, and force you to turn your whole body just to look left or right. Pain from a lumbar facet joint may leave you unable to stand up straight, hunched over while you walk, and suffering a deep ache from your buttocks to the back of your thighs. Doctors call this common diagnosis facet joint syndrome.

Facet joints are a common source of back and neck pain. In fact, lumbar facet joints are implicated in nearly a third of chronic lower back pain cases and nearly half of all chronic neck pain cases when no herniated disc is present.

But before you blame your facet joints for your back or neck pain, let抯 first remember a syndrome is not the same thing as a cause. Even our family抯 children抯 dictionary accurately describes a syndrome as 揳 group of signs or symptoms that together indicate a particular disease or condition.?

Doctors often use a facet joint block (an injection of anesthetic into the facet joint) to isolate the source of pain. Then they抣l turn around and use it to 搕reat?the pain too. Isn抰 that a little like saying your flat tire has low air pressure, so just roll it around the corner and we抣l pump some more air into it? Excuse me, but let抯 pull the nail out and patch the hole first guys!

Again, facet joint pain is a symptom of a problem. While we want to end the pain, the only way to keep it from returning is to find and correct the underlying cause. Since the root problem varies from one individual to the next there is no one single treatment that works for everyone. It will take some effort on your part to resolve the problem but isn抰 a lifetime free of the cycle of pain, doctor visits and repeated facet joint injections worth it? If you抮e ready to end the cycle of pain, here抯 what I recommend:

Short-term pain relief (while you find and correct the root problem):

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*牋牋?Heat therapy ?while a heating pad may help, it won抰 give you the deep penetrating heat that can really relieve the ache. I highly recommend a far infrared heating pad which can penetrate 2-3 inches deep for effective pain relief.

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*牋牋牋牋牋 Celadrin-based pain relief cream ?while many off-the shelf creams may help, Celadrin is the only pain relief cream ingredient I抳e ever seen with a 100% success rate in relieving joint pain.

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*牋牋牋牋牋 Natural anti-inflammatories ?Inflammation is almost always related to painful facet joints. Use safer natural anti-inflammatories as a healthy alternative to dangerous NSAIDs.

Suggested therapies for finding and fixing the cause of your facet joint syndrome:

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*牋牋 Muscle-Balance therapy ?Restoring your body to a neutral, balanced and stable state is critical for your long-term pain relief. That抯 what muscle balance therapy helps you accomplish.

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*牋牋牋 Trigger-point therapy ?Trigger points have been proven to be directly responsible for 75% of all pain. Eliminating your trigger points should be a priority for pain relief.

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*牋牋牋牋 Inversion therapy ?Inversion therapy helps your body reseat misaligned facet joints by relieving pressure and allowing the joints to simply 搒lip?back into the correct position.

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*牋牋牋牋 Watch your diet ?Avoid inflammatory foods ?typically anything processed, high fat, high sugar, or including refined grains are inflammatory. Be sure to take a good multi-vitamin.

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*牋牋牋牋 Emotional troubleshooting ?When all else fails, evaluate your emotional life. Sometimes stress and emotions keep otherwise helpful treatments from working. This may just be the final step you need for relief from your facet joint syndrome related pain.

Here抯 a video you might find helpful -?A href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Gw6CSKHMA0">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Gw6CSKHMA0?/B>