Facet joints are the joints between two vertebrae in your spine that allow and support movement such as bending and twisting. These joints can become inflamed resulting in restricted movement, pain and stiffness. Pain stemming from these joints is commonly referred to as Facet joint syndrome.
Facet joints are the joints between two vertebrae in your spine that allow and support movement such as bending and twisting. These joints can become inflamed resulting in restricted movement, pain and stiffness. Pain stemming from these joints is commonly referred to as ‘Facet joint syndrome’.
The facet joints have been found to account for 15-45% of low back pain and 40-55% of neck pain cases (Bykowski & Wong, 2012)
CAUSES (Alexander & Dulebohn, 2017)
SYMPTOMS
The location of pain or stiffness may vary depending on the location of the affected facet joint and can result in: (Kirpalani & Mitra, 2008), (Saravanakumar & Harvey, 2008)
DIAGNOSIS
Diagnosis begins with a thorough history and hands-on clinical examination by an experienced health care practitioner. In some cases X-rays, MRI and/or CT scans may be required to confirm the diagnosis.
Management of facet syndrome is usually multimodal and conservative treatment has been associated with a reduction in pain levels and improvements in spinal functioning. (Binder & Nampiaparampil, 2009), (Saravanakumar & Harvey, 2008) Alexander CE, Dulebohn SC. Lumbosacral Facet Syndrome. [Updated 2017 Nov 5]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2018 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK441906/ Binder DS, Nampiaparampil DE. (2009). The provocative lumbar facet joint. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med, 2(1), 15-24. doi: 10.1007/s12178-008-9039-y Bykowski JL, Wong WHW. (2012). Role of Facet Joints in Spine Pain and Image Guided Treatment: A Review. AJNR, 33(8), 1419-1426. doi: https://doi.org/10.3174/ajnr.A2696 Kirpalani D, Mitra R. (2008). Cervical Facet Joint Dysfunction: A Review. Arch Phys Med Rehabil, 89, 770-773. doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2007.11.028 Saravanakumar K, Harvey A. (2008). Lumbar Zygapophyseal (Facet) Joint Pain. Rev Pain, 2(1), 8-13. doi: 10.1177/204946370800200103
Facet joints are the joints between two vertebrae in your spine that allow and support movement such as bending and twisting. These joints can become inflamed resulting in restricted movement, pain and stiffness. Pain stemming from these joints is commonly referred to as ‘Facet joint syndrome’.
The facet joints have been found to account for 15-45% of low back pain and 40-55% of neck pain cases (Bykowski & Wong, 2012)
CAUSES (Alexander & Dulebohn, 2017)
SYMPTOMS
The location of pain or stiffness may vary depending on the location of the affected facet joint and can result in: (Kirpalani & Mitra, 2008), (Saravanakumar & Harvey, 2008)
DIAGNOSIS
Diagnosis begins with a thorough history and hands-on clinical examination by an experienced health care practitioner. In some cases X-rays, MRI and/or CT scans may be required to confirm the diagnosis.
Management of facet syndrome is usually multimodal and conservative treatment has been associated with a reduction in pain levels and improvements in spinal functioning. (Binder & Nampiaparampil, 2009), (Saravanakumar & Harvey, 2008) Alexander CE, Dulebohn SC. Lumbosacral Facet Syndrome. [Updated 2017 Nov 5]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2018 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK441906/ Binder DS, Nampiaparampil DE. (2009). The provocative lumbar facet joint. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med, 2(1), 15-24. doi: 10.1007/s12178-008-9039-y Bykowski JL, Wong WHW. (2012). Role of Facet Joints in Spine Pain and Image Guided Treatment: A Review. AJNR, 33(8), 1419-1426. doi: https://doi.org/10.3174/ajnr.A2696 Kirpalani D, Mitra R. (2008). Cervical Facet Joint Dysfunction: A Review. Arch Phys Med Rehabil, 89, 770-773. doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2007.11.028 Saravanakumar K, Harvey A. (2008). Lumbar Zygapophyseal (Facet) Joint Pain. Rev Pain, 2(1), 8-13. doi: 10.1177/204946370800200103