Facet Joint Syndrome—A Common Cause of Lower Back Pain
Symptoms and Treatment
Have you had pain in your lower back accompanied by a degree of stiffness? Does the pain or loss of mobility seem worse when you get up in the morning or if you’ve been sitting for a while? Do you occasionally have pain radiating down into your legs? If so, you may have a lumbar facet joint disorder. We can help.
To schedule an appointment to determine the cause of your lower back pain, call SOAR Surgery at 844-434-SOAR or send an e-mail to soarscheduling@soarsurgery.com.
What Is a Facet Joint Injury?
Your facet joints are found between the vertebrae in your back. They work together with the discs in your back, containing cartilage that provides a cushion between your vertebrae and to prevents your spine from over-twisting. In many instances, the cartilage can degrade or deteriorate over time, causing bone spurs to form. When that happens, your joints can’t move smoothly and tend to become inflamed or irritated, impinging on nearby nerves. That can cause significant discomfort.
What Are the Indicators of Facet Joint Syndrome?
Among the symptoms of a potential facet joint injury are:
- Localized pain—In most instances, the pain is only in your lower back.
- Tenderness—The area of pain is tender to the touch.
- Pain in other areas unrelated to the initial pain—Known as “referred pain,” this kind of pain can affect the buttocks, hips, or thighs but almost never goes below the knees.
- Changes in pain level—With facet joint injury, the pain usually gets worse when you sit or lie down for long periods of time, or if you bend your spine backwards
- Radiating pain—If you feel a sharp twinge of pain in your thigh, leg, buttocks, or foot, it may be a sign of facet joint injury.
- Loss of flexibility or range of motion
How Do You Treat Facet Joint Syndrome?
In cases of mild facet joint syndrome, you may have good results with heat and ice, physical therapy, anti-inflammatory and pain medications, or injections. In more severe cases, surgery may be necessary and can include:
- removal of parts of the vertebrae or the facet joint, or
- trimming parts of the facet joint to remove bone spurs.
Contact SOAR for Diagnosis and Treatment of a Lower Back Injury
At SOAR, we can effectively diagnose and treat lower back pain, including lumbar facet joint injuries. For more information about the range of services we offer, contact us today or call our offices at 844-434-SOAR.
