A Guide To Facet Joint Disease

Facet joint disease is a spine disease similar to arthritis and maybe the notable cause of neck and back pain. It is caused by deteriorating changes in the joints within the bones of the spine.

The cartilage in the side joints may crackdown and become inflamed and cause pain indicators at close nerve endings. Physical therapy, medications, nerve blocks, joint injections, and nerve ablation can all be used to control symptoms. Chronic symptoms may require fusion surgery.

What is a facet joint disease?

Pain that originates from one or more side joints is named facet joint syndrome or facet joint disease. Degenerative variations in the spine may produce uneven weight transfer to the facet joints. This extra stress can create wear on the facet joints.

The joint does not diminish over time: the joint capsule becomes thin, the smooth cartilage collapses and becomes bumpy like a paved road, and bone spores can form. As with knee arthritis, these fluctuations make it painful for the joints to function. The joints move smoothly and there is inflammation and irritation.

The stimulated joint sends discomfort signals to the cerebrum through small nerves called the medial branch neural nerves.

Symptoms of facet joint disease

The case of facet joint disease largely depends on the affected part of the spine, and the lower back pain is usually induced by the degenerative results of ageing. Like hip joints or knee, facet joints are reliable synovial joints. As you age, the structures that hold the spine (such as intervertebral discs and side joints) may wear out for years.

The intervertebral disc is mainly composed of water, and age-related deteriorating changes can affect the fluid delivery of the intervertebral disc, which leads to an alleviation in the height of the same, which separates the vertebral bodies, thereby affecting the normal positioning of the facet joints. This aggravation and misalignment can cause back pain.

Therefore, facet joint disease usually coexists with other spinal decadence diseases, including osteochondrosis, spondylosis and spondylolisthesis.

Moves like tilting back or turning to the affected joint are painful, and the pain increases due to standing or inactivity. Activities that reduce joint pressure, such as leaning forward, sitting, or changing stance can relieve pain.

When the bone spores form and push on the spinal nerves, they can be felt on the hands or feet. Pain can be chronic, or it can be accompanied by periodic exacerbations.

What are the causes of facet joint disease?

As we age, the cartilage in the joints will gradually deplete. Trauma, repeated exercise, obesity, poor posture, and other spine ailments can change the alignment and movement of the facet joints and may induce pain.

The condition of the intervertebral disc gets deteriorated when a load of body weight shifts to the small joints, the cartilage collapses, the joint space straits, and the bones rub against each other.

Facet joint disease can occur in both women and men. It is most prevalent between the ages of forty and seventy and in people prone to arthritis. It can also occur in people with spinal injuries.

How can it be treated?

• Correct posture and alignment of the spine are vital measures to prevent painful seizures. You may require improving your daily habits of sitting, sleeping and standing. Losing weight can decrease pressure on small joints and relieve pain.

 

• Exercise is very beneficial for petite joint pain and can help you recover faster.

Fortuitously, diagnostic doses can pinpoint your painful area, and your doctor will give a variety of non-surgical, least invasive treatments to reduce your discomfort and re-establish a healthy range of movement.