The Facet joints are situated at the back on either side of the spinal column, between the discs and the vertebral bodies. Pain in these joints may arise from several causes.

Nonsurgical Facet Joint Pain Treatment

Doctors may suggest rest for some time, two days at the most. Patients can feel relieved by curling up to sleep on a firm mattress or by lying back with their knees bent and supported. These positions take pressure off the facet joints. Massage and specialized forms of soft-tissue mobilization are used initially to begin moving with greater ease.

Anti-inflammatory medication, such as a non steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) or aspirin maybe prescribed. Muscle relaxants are occasionally used to calm muscles that are in spasm. Oral steroid medicines in measured dosages are also prescribed for pain relief.

Patients often work with a physical therapist and relevant positions and exercises are recommended to ease symptoms. The therapist may recommend traction. Traction gently stretches the low back and takes pressure off the facet joints. You may also have to rely on a few strengthening and aerobic exercises. Strengthening exercises focus on improving the strength and control of the back and abdominal muscles. Aerobic exercises are used to improve heart and lung health and increase endurance in the spinal muscles. Stationary biking also offers a good aerobic treatment.

Patients who still have pain may require injections into the facet joint or the small nerves that go to the joint. Anaesthetic is used to obstruct the radiating pain coming from the facet joint. A steroid medication maybe occasionally used instead of an anaesthetic. Although, it is not proven that these injections heal pain completely, they do seem to have some good short-term results. It may come with a few side effects, but this option should not be abandoned completely. Doctors often have their patients resume physical therapy treatments following an injection. Patients are normally seen by their therapist a few times in a week, for four to six weeks. For severe and chronic cases, a few additional weeks of care is required. Therapists create programs to help patients regain back movement, strength, endurance, and function.

Spinal manipulation also known as adjustment, can sometimes provide short-term relief , but is not effective as a long-term help when used routinely for chronic conditions. It stretches the tissues surrounding the facet joint and helps reset the sensitivity of the spinal nerves and muscles. It involves a high-impulse stretch of the spinal joints and is characterized by the sound of popping as the stretch is done.

Facet Joint Pain Surgery

After trying other types of facet joint pain treatment, some of these patients may eventually require surgery. There are several types of surgery for facet joint arthritis. The two primary operations are

facet rhizotomy

posterior lumbar fusion

What you can do:

Laser Spine Surgery, which is more appropriately called endoscopic spine surgery, is developed to minimize risks. Same Day Spine Institute provides advanced surgical treatment for the neck and back. Laser spine surgery is minimally invasive spine surgery done through an endoscope. An endoscope is a minute high definition video camera that is placed into the damaged or abnormal area of the spine. Small instruments to fix disks, bone spurs, stenosis or fuse the spine are placed through the endoscope. Ebbing extremely tiny in size, it decreases damage to skin, muscle and bone.

The skin incision is smaller than a fingernail (7-8 mm) and the muscles are dilated and pushed to the side by the small tube rather than retracted which minimizing muscle damage and back pain.

Poor posture plays a major role in the development of Facet Syndrome. It includes prolonged sitting and bending postures.

In order to avoid disc degeneration, and loading the Facet joints, it is important to take better care of back posture. An understanding of good posture is necessary to achieve this. Use a seat support to improve posture whilst sitting and practice exercises to strengthen spine stabilising muscles.