What is Facet Arthritis?
Facet is situated between the vertebrae of each spine segment. The facet joints are present at the back of the spinal column. Two facet joints are there in each pair of vertebrae. These allow the smooth movements of the spine.
Facet arthritis is also known as facet joint arthritis.
Facet Joint Arthritis Symptoms
The primary symptoms are:
- Severe pain after sitting for a long time
- Increased pain after a nap or in the early
morning - Pain while bending to both sides and backwards
- Numbness
- Tingling sensation
- Inflammation and irritation
Causes
The facet joint is made of small knobs of bone that line up along the back of the spine. The facet joints are covered by a smooth and rubbery kind of cartilage called articular cartilage.
The main cause of the facet arthritis is pressure buildup in the intersection points of the joint or joints. As a result of this, cartilage on the joint surface gets depreciated.
Treatment for Facet Joint Arthritis
The facet arthritis might be fully treated with the help of surgical and non-surgical medicines. Consulting a doctor in the early stages might bring remarkable improvement.
The primary treatments suggested for the facet joint arthritis are:
- To give enough rest for the joints for a day or two
- Sleeping on a firm mattress might give relief
- While Sleeping, bend the knees. This might relax the joints
- Take anti inflammatory medications
- Using muscle relaxants and oral steroids
- Taking the suggestions by a physiotherapist
- Taking injections in the case of chronic conditions
Bilateral Facet Arthritis
Bilateral facet arthritis is the arthritis which affects the facet joints. The facet joints are situated in the vertebrae keep the joints stable in the spine. The joints might deposit more bones and materials to strengthen the joints and spine. This might bring an abnormality and it develops as arthritis.
Bilateral facet arthritis is also known as bilateral arthropathy.
Surgery for Facet Joint Arthritis
Surgery is rarely required for this type of arthritis. But, facet joint arthritis can cause chronic lower back pain in about 15% of the patients. If other methods of treatment are not effective, surgery would be required. Though several kind of surgery are done for facet joint arthritis, the two main procedures are:
- Posterior Lumbar Fusion.
- Facet Rhizotomy.
