Lumbar facet syndrome causes once-simple tasks like getting dressed and exiting a car to turn into uncomfortable challenges. If you have lumbar facet syndrome, you may feel confused as to how this condition developed and began impacting your quality of life — particularly if you’ve never dealt with chronic back pain before.

Facet syndrome in the lumbar spine (lower back) is, in many cases, simply a byproduct of growing older. As the body ages, components of the spine begin to deteriorate, including the cartilage that cushions the spine’s facet joints — or the joints that facilitate bending and twisting motions. Without this cartilage, movement can feel sharp and rigid, making it difficult to perform daily actions without pain.

Aging is among the primary causes of facet syndrome in the lumbar spine, but there are other factors that can contribute to the development of this condition and other degenerative diseases. They include:

• Being overweight
• Frequently participating in high-impact activities
• Leading a sedentary lifestyle
• Having a history of spinal injuries (fractures, herniated discs, etc.)

Conversely, maintaining an ideal weight and engaging in gentle exercise may help keep facet syndrome and related conditions at bay. Living a healthy lifestyle can also help alleviate some of the pain associated with facet syndrome.

While many patients are able to effectively manage their facet syndrome symptoms with healthy lifestyle choices and conservative treatments such as pain medicines and physical therapy, others may require surgery to relieve nerve or spinal cord compression. In these instances, USA Spine Care provides a minimally invasive alternative that offers several advantages versus traditional open spine operations. When compared to traditional operations, our outpatient procedures require smaller incisions, less risk and shorter recovery periods.^

Contact USA Spine Care to learn about our board-certified surgeons+, world-class surgery centers and our approach to addressing facet syndrome. When you do, ask our team how to receive a free MRI review* to learn if you are a candidate for treatment.

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