The facets of the spine are joints that function to create movements like bending and twisting. When the cartilage that allows the bone surfaces to glide past each other gradually deteriorates, facet joint syndrome can arise. As a result of this deterioration, bone spurs can develop in the spine and if they impact nearby nerve roots or the sciatic nerve, the symptoms described in the following article can develop.

Facet syndrome symptoms

If you are suffering from facet syndrome, you may be experiencing the following symptoms:

• Pain associated with movements like bending or lifting heavy loads
• Sciatica in cases where the lumbar (lower back) nerve is affected
• Possible stiffness in the morning and limited mobility in the back
• Nerve compression as a result of bone-on-bone contact
• Tenderness due to facet joint inflammation

Conservative treatments for facet syndrome

After receiving a facet joint syndrome diagnosis, your doctor typically will recommend a conservative treatment regimen depending on the severity of your symptoms. This may include physical therapy, pain medications, chiropractic care, corticosteroid injections and acupuncture. If these treatments fail to provide you with lasting relief after several weeks or months, surgery may then become necessary.

Minimally invasive facet syndrome surgery

If you require surgical intervention to treat facet syndrome symptoms, like sciatica, then contact USA Spine Care so we can help guide you on your next step to find pain relief. Our minimally invasive procedures are performed on an outpatient basis, allowing for a streamlined experience that reduces hospital-associated costs and helps our patients to get back to their lives faster.^

The highly skilled surgeons at USA Spine Care use a small incision to perform a minimally invasive decompression or stabilization surgery that prevents the facets from moving, thereby eliminating the pain and discomfort associated with this condition. Our procedures work to spare the muscles and ligaments surrounding the spine to allow for no lengthy recovery, less surgical blood loss and a reduced risk of complication.^

USA Spine Care is the leader in minimally invasive spine surgery and has helped more than 75,000 patients find relief from chronic neck or back pain. To find out if you are a potential candidate for our minimally invasive facet syndrome procedures, reach out to our dedicated team today and ask for a free MRI review.*

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