Also commonly known as facet syndrome, facet disease is a degenerative spinal condition that occurs when the facet joints in the spine start to deteriorate. The facet joints connect the vertebrae in the spine and allow the spine to bend and twist with ease. A coating of smooth cartilage lines the joints and allows the bones to glide smoothly over one another. However, after many years of wear and tear, this cartilage can break down and cause bones to grind against one another. When this occurs, stiffness and inflammation can develop in the joints. Additionally, if a bone spur develops at the site of the inflammation, it could put pressure on the spinal cord or a nearby nerve root, causing bothersome symptoms including pain, numbness, tingling and muscle weakness.

While facet disease is a permanent condition, there are treatment options available that can reduce or eliminate the symptoms of this condition.

Treating facet disease through nonsurgical methods

If you’ve received a facet disease diagnosis, there are a variety of conservative and alternative treatments that can help reduce your symptoms to a manageable level. Your physician may suggest that you try a combination of conservative therapies, including pain and ant-inflammatory medications, facet injections to numb the pain, hot and cold therapy and more. You may also want to incorporate alternative treatments into your regimen, including chiropractic care, massage therapy and restorative yoga, though the clinical effectiveness of these options remains a source of debate.

Surgical facet disease treatment options

If you’ve attempted conservative and alternative treatments for several weeks or months and your symptoms haven’t improved, you may want to consider minimally invasive surgery at USA Spine Care. We offer procedures that can desensitize a nerve that is being compressed, stabilize the affected joint or open up an area of the spinal canal that has been crowded by a bone spur. If you are interested in these outpatient surgeries, USA Spine Care can provide a free MRI review* to help determine if you are a candidate.

Contact us today to learn more about our facet disease treatment options.

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