Upon diagnosis, facet syndrome treatment typically relies on conservative approaches to relieve symptoms and improve mobility. As you start treatment, it’s vital to follow your doctor’s instructions and to stick with your treatment plan. The following tips are intended to help you better work with your doctor to ensure that your treatment plan is as effective as possible.

Lose excess weight

Weight management can improve your overall health by reducing the risks of diabetes, heart disease and other weight-related conditions. When it comes to the health of your spine, losing weight can also be helpful, including helping to reduce some of the symptoms of facet syndrome. That’s because any extra body weight must be supported by the spine, which further taxes its joints, especially in the lumbar (lower) region. Reducing that load may relieve pain and other symptoms while improving your overall health.

Use heat therapy

Increasing circulation around affected areas of the spine can be an effective part of facet syndrome treatment. Applying heat, such as a heating pad, is a widely used method of enhancing circulation. For that reason, taking a warm bath or applying a heating pad to the neck or back can ease some of the discomfort caused by facet syndrome.

Exercise carefully

Not only can daily exercise help you lose weight, it can also strengthen your core and back muscles, taking some of the pressure off your spine. You just want to be sure you don’t overdo it and counteract your facet syndrome treatment. Look into low-impact exercises that provide aerobic conditioning or resistance training — a good choice is swimming. Certain yoga pose sequences may also help build the core muscles. However, it is vital to consult with your doctor before you begin any new physical activity.

Watch your posture

Although it may be thought of as more of a preventive measure, correcting your posture may have some therapeutic effects even after you begin your facet syndrome treatment. Sitting up straight and reminding yourself to get up and move at least once or twice an hour can help take pressure off weakened areas of your spine. This is especially important for people who work at a desk all day.

While conservative facet syndrome treatment measures help many people manage their symptoms enough to find relief and return to regular activity, they don’t work for everyone. Your doctor may suggest you consider surgery if conservative treatments have been exhausted without sufficiently improving symptoms.

USA Spine Care offers minimally invasive spine surgery to address degenerative spine conditions like facet syndrome. These procedures are performed on an outpatient basis and offer less risk of complication and a shorter recovery time compared to traditional open back surgery.

To learn more about our procedures and to receive a no-cost MRI review* to determine if you are a potential candidate, contact USA Spine Care today.