Facet Disease

What is facet disease?

Facet disease or facet joint syndrome causes degenerative changes in the facet joints linking your vertebrae. Symptoms that suggest you might have facet disease include:

• Dull, aching lower back pain
• Pain spreading into your buttocks and legs
• Neck, shoulder, and/or arm pain
• Discomfort when bending or twisting
• Pain that increases while standing

Facet disease symptoms may worsen during flare-ups with periods of remission in between, or be continual.

What causes facet disease?

Facet disease develops when cartilage, a protective coating on the bones, breaks down, and the joints become inflamed. This problem (facet joint arthritis) irritates nearby nerves, causing facet disease symptoms.

Risk factors for facet disease include:

• Aging
• Excess body weight
• Repetitive movements
• Poor posture
• Spinal injuries
• Spinal misalignments

Facet disease affects men and women, most often occurring in people aged 40-70.

How is facet disease diagnosed?

To determine what’s causing your symptoms, your SEPA Pain and Spine provider reviews your medical history and conducts a thorough physical exam. They might ask you to move a particular way or stand in different positions to pinpoint the source of your pain.

You might also need X-rays, an MRI, a CT scan, or other diagnostic imaging procedures so your provider can examine the bone and tissue in your spine. This ensures that you receive the most appropriate treatment.

Another diagnostic tool that can help is a nerve block — a facet joint injection that numbs small areas of your spine. This helps to isolate the nerves affected by facet disease.

How is facet disease treated?

SEPA Pain and Spine offers effective facet disease treatment personalized to your needs. Your plan might include:

Physical therapy

Physical therapy strengthens and stretches your back, legs, and abdominal muscles, relieving pain and helping your body to heal.

Anti-inflammatory medications

Anti-inflammatory medications reduce inflammation and chronic pain.

Medial branch block

Medial branch block injections contain a local anesthetic. Injecting the drug into your spine’s medial branch nerves reduces facet joint pain.

Facet joint injections

Facet joint injections deliver powerful steroid medication directly into the joints, reducing nerve inflammation.

Radiofrequency ablation

Minimally invasive radiofrequency ablation heats nerve tissues in your spine, reducing their ability to send pain signals to your brain.

Spinal cord stimulation (SCS)

Spinal cord stimulation uses electrical pulses to interfere with how pain nerves send messages to your brain.

Learn more about comprehensive facet disease care by calling SEPA Pain and Spine today or booking an appointment online.