Facet join pain results from arthritis in between the joints of the spine. If untreated, arthritis between the joints can disfigure and debilitate the joints, causing extreme pain. With advances in modern technology and traditional treatments, facet joint arthritis is treatable, and the pain resulting from facet joint syndrome can be put at bay.
Good Posture
Because facet joint pain deals with the spine, maintaining good posture is vital in treating the arthritic affliction. In order to maintain good posture when standing in one position for an extended amount of time, like at a kitchen sink, rest one foot on a stool or ledge. This helps to maintain a healthy curve of the lower back.
Installing back cushions in the car seat helps to maintain lower back posture while driving. Keeping your abdomens flexed and firm helps to keep the back aligned. Maintaining this posture helps to lessen the symptoms of facet joint pain.
Chiropractic Treatments
All doctors do not recommend chiropractic adjustment; however, this treatment is recommended by spine-health.com as a possible relief for the pain of facet joint syndrome. Chiropractic treatment has been used in America for over 100 years to relief back pain. This treatment is considered alternative and does not fall under the branch of traditional medicine. These maneuvers are claimed to put you in positions that help to take pressure off of the joints. Arthritis often disfigures or causes slippage in the spine joints; some feel that chiropractic adjustments potentially help to realign the joints and keep pain at bay.
Medicines and Surgery
The pain from arthritis in the facet joints is often treated via NSAIDs (Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory). This group comprises drugs like Motrin and Celebrex. In more severe cases, pain medicines such as codeine may be prescribed; sometimes, muscle relaxants are used to treat pain. If heat wraps, chiropractic adjustments and medicines do not work, surgical treatment maybe necessary.
Radiofrequency neurotomy is the surgical process for killing or "de-nerving" the nerve in the afflicted facet joint. Using a special X-ray machine, doctors locate the nerve and insert a needle into the facet joint. An electric current flows through the needle and kills the nerve, thus relieving pain.
Modification and Physical Therapy
In most cases of facet joint pain, a readjustment of daily movement may be necessary. This may include decreasing the amount of twisting, excessive stretching and bending that occurs in your daily routine. If your doctor confirms the existence of facet joint arthritis, he or she may recommend going to physical therapy. Physical therapy to treat facet joint pain varies on the severity of facet joint syndrome. Some modes of physical therapy include: electric stimulation, massage therapy and thermal therapy.
Electric stimulation occurs by applying a small electric current on the back; the current helps stimulate the muscles lining the spine, helping to release tension that leads to pain. Massages help to loosen muscle tension, allowing the muscles to reduce pressure on the afflicted joints. Thermal therapy includes placing heat on the lower back, relieving tension in muscles lining the lower vertebrae.
A physical therapist may recommend certain exercises; while recommended exercises are recommended from professional to professional, there are some standard exercises that are employed. These include the cat, cobra and pelvic tilt. The cat entails lowering your self to all fours and arching your back to mimic the positioning of a cat. After arching, lower your back, making it concave. The cobra entails laying flat on your stomach; use your arms to lift your upper body off of the ground. This mimics the positioning of a cobra. The pelvic tilt includes laying flat on your back with knees raised. Flex your lower abdomen and buttocks, flattening the curve in your spine. All these exercises strengthen the lower back, while stretching the muscles.
Do not attempt these exercises, or any of the above treatments, without consulting your doctor first.
Tags: facet joint, facet joint, joint pain, lower back, facet joint pain, facet joint syndrome