Facet Joint Syndrome
Facet joints in the spine experience wear and tear over time, which can cause pain that impacts your daily life. Dr. Rojeh Melikian is a board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon in Southern California with extensive training in treating facet joint syndrome.
What Is Facet Joint Syndrome?
Facet joint syndrome, also called facet joint disease, is an arthritic condition in the facets, the spine’s joints. Over time, these joints can degenerate, leading to facet arthropathy, a type of arthritis in the facet joints that causes the pain associated with this disease.
This condition is most common in the lumbar and cervical spine, causing lumbar facet joint syndrome and cervical facet joint syndrome, respectively. Facet degeneration in the spine can lead to other conditions, including:
Facets in the spine can degenerate due to many factors, including:
- Spondylosis: The degeneration of the spine, or spondylosis, can cause arthritic facets, leading to the pain characteristic of this disease.
- Age: Older adults are more likely to be affected by this condition.
- Trauma: Sports injuries, accidents and falls can cause facet joint syndrome to develop.
- Lifestyle: A sedentary lifestyle can contribute to back pain and stiffness from facet joint disease.
Some common symptoms of facet joint disease include:
- Back pain: You may feel a dull ache in your lower back or in other parts of your body that radiates to other limbs or intensifies with light pressure.
- Muscle spasms: You could experience muscle spasms in the areas around the affected facet joint.
- Stiffness: Your back may feel stiff after long periods of sitting still.
- Crepitus: The degeneration of the facets can cause a grating or grinding feeling when you move.
Facet joint pain can be exacerbated while rotating the spine, upon waking after sleeping or following intense exercise.
How Is Facet Joint Disease Diagnosed?
Facet joint syndrome is similar to other conditions affecting the spine. For example, this disease is commonly associated with herniated discs, since both cause back or neck pain. However, facet joint pain is mechanical, while herniated discs cause nerve pain, tingling and numbness. Diagnosis determines if your facet joints are the location of your pain.
Diagnosis from an orthopedic surgeon usually involves:
- Conducting a physical exam.
- Reviewing your medical history.
- Ordering imaging tests like an X-ray, MRI or CT scan.
- Using a facet joint injection.
How to Treat Facet Joint Pain
Our facet joint syndrome treatment options focus on managing common sources of pain. Dr. Melikian may recommend nonsurgical treatments first, such as:
- Doing facet joint pain exercises with a physical therapist.
- Taking NSAIDs or using topical creams.
- Staying active with low-impact exercises like walking.
- Supporting the lumbar curve with a brace.
If you’re still experiencing symptoms, Dr. Melikian can discuss surgical options with you. Spinal fusion surgeries, like cervical fusion or extreme lateral interbody fusion, can help treat pain if there is spinal instability.
Schedule a Consultation With Rojeh Melikian, M.D., Today
Dr. Rojeh Melikian uses surgical and minimally invasive facet joint treatments to help you return to an active lifestyle. Contact us online or call 949-806-6946 to schedule a consultation. Dr. Melikian can also offer a second opinion on your spine surgery.