The Complex Causes of Neck Pain and Lower Back Pain. The 2 most common forms of pain in the human anatomy are Neck Pain and Lower Back Pain, although the cause of either can be complex at times due to so many different causes. There is however, a root cause or secondary cause of Neck Pain or Lower Back Pain that is frequently overlooked, very difficult to diagnose, and oftentimes labeled as a secret or hidden cause. Neck Pain or Lower Back Pains hidden cause or secret source is known as Facet Joint Pain or Facet Syndrome. Facet Syndrome, or simply Facet Joint Pain is directly related to pain in the facet joints, and is a chronic pain syndrome, which is a collection of Chronic Neck Pain symptoms or Chronic Lower Back Pain Symptoms.
What does Articulation have to do with a Facet Joint? The posterior spinal joint that interfaces an adjacent upper and lower vertebrae together, is called a Facet Joint or Zygapophyseal Joint. Articulation within defined ranges of motion, is the medical term for Facet Joint movement. The articulation of a Facet Joint includes flexion, which is bending forward, extension, which is bending backward, and Cervical Rotation, or Thoracolumbar Rotation, which is twisting from side to side. Facet Joint unload and stretch when flexed, and load and compress when extended, while having complex combination of either when twisted to one side or the other. Luckily for us, Facet Joints also limit excessive range of motion, which can cause damage to spinal discs in either the Neck or Lower Back.
Do Facet Joints have the characteristics of Synovial Joints? The most common joints in the human body are Synovial Joints, and Facet Joints are most definitely Synovial Joints. Synovial Joint and Facet Joint characteristics include having Synovial fluid within a joint capsule that lubricates the inside of the joint. The outside of the Facet Joint has cartilage between the upper joint surface of each vertebra and the lower joint surface of each vertebra that enables smooth gliding movements when flexing, extending, or twisting.
What are the causes and characteristics of Facet Arthritis? Degenerative Arthritis, a form of facet joint inflammation, is also known as Facet Arthritis or Facet Arthropathy, and is one of the syndromes of Facet Joint Pain. This Chronic Pain condition can be caused by wear and tear, degeneration of the cartilage surfaces, joint capsule.
How is Joint Movement affected? When the articulation of the Facet Joint is in some way restricted, then Facet Joint Pain is often the result. When the joint becomes stuck or fixated in the open or closed position or in the partially open or partially closed position, then Facet Joint Pain is often the result. Either the muscles surrounding the joint could be the source of the problem, or the dysfunction of the joint itself could be the problem. The muscles surrounding the joint could become hypertonic-extremely tight causing compression and loading and restricted articulation resulting in pain, or the joint could have a problem binding, or becoming stuck open or closed, resulting in Facet Joint Pain, which in turn causes a problem with the muscles surrounding the joint.
Can Facet Joint Pain be caused by other Conditions? Some causes of Facet joint pain are: Injury or Trauma, Incorrect Neck Posture or incorrect Lower Back Posture, Forward Pelvic Rotation, Abnormal spinal curvature, Hyperlordosis-excessive arch in the lower back, Scoliosis-Lateral Lumbar spinal curvature.
What are the Lower Back Facet Syndrome Symptoms? Lower back facet joint pain symptoms include lower back pain or tenderness, increased pain upon side bending or twisting or arching the lower back or torso, deep dull aching pain that moves to the buttocks or the back of the thighs, and/or stiffness or difficulty with certain movements, such as standing up straight or getting up out of a chair. The initial onset of pain might be related to a rotational spinal injury or a spinal injury involving hyperextension of the spine.
What are the Symptoms of Neck-Cervical Facet Syndrome? Neck Pain, Headaches, Shoulder Pain, and/or difficulty side bending or rotating the head are all Facet Join pain neck symptoms. Check to see if the Facet Joint Pain Assessment indicates the pain scale for the associated problems. Find out if there is a history of whiplash or any other kind of neck injury.
Is the Facet Joint moving freely, or is movement restricted and if so, how? That is one of the most important questions that needs to be answered. There is a special test known as the spring test which can test for basic joint movement.
Can Exercises Relieve my Facet Joint Pain? Compression of the lumbar facet joints can be caused by Lumbar Lordosis and hypertonic hip flexors and hypertonic lower back musculature, so stretching and strengthening exercises to reduce joint compression and help prevent joint fixation can help to reverse the postural distortion that has occurred. If the cervical (neck) spine is affected by excessive forward head posture and hypertonic neck musculature, there are strengthening and stretching exercises for postural correction and hypertonicity reduction as well. An experienced Medical Massage Therapist will be able to formulate an effective exercise treatment plan.
