How can an excellent spine and pain center help you with Facet Arthropathy?

What Is Facet Arthropathy?

Facet joints are the connections on the base of your backbone that balance the discs within the columns of your spinal column. They're crucial for keeping your spine in normal alignment by restricting spinal mobility. Aging forces the facet joints to deteriorate quickly. Inflammation of these joints can develop gradually. Facet arthropathy is the appropriate medical term for this condition.

Facet Arthropathy is an inflammatory disease that causes discomfort in the facet joints. The vertebrae may flex, rotate, and coordinate thanks to these points. The nerve fibers emerge from the spinal column between the vertebrae and the facets. The vertebral discs and the facets assist one another in a healthy spine, allowing for safe and comfortable mobility.

Recurrent low back discomfort is frequently related to facet arthropathy. Problems in the tendons that connect the musculature to the lumbar column, pressure or squeezing of the soft tissue fibers, and strained facet joints are all causal factors of back pain.

What Are the Symptoms of Facet Arthropathy?

Lower back discomfort is prevalent in individuals with facet arthropathy, and it gets worse when they move, sit, or lean backward. The discomfort is generally concentrated in one area of the spine. A dull discomfort on one or both regions of the lower spine could also be present in some patients.

Facet arthropathy ache does not usually spread into your hips or thighs, as it does with a disk herniation or neuralgia. Nevertheless, like any other joint with arthritis, the joints can expand and push on the root surface, causing pain to eventually spread to your lower leg.

The most common signs and symptoms of facet arthropathy are as below:

  • An agonizing pain that gets worse after sleeping or resting;
  • Lower back discomfort that becomes worse as you turn, lean back, or sit;
  • One-sided discomfort in a particular posterior region;
  • A persistent aching on one or even both sides of your back;
  • Other problems, such as bone spurs and severe arthritis.

What Are the Main Causes of Facet Arthropathy?

Facet arthropathy is caused mainly by age, even though there is no apparent reason. Facet arthropathy can be caused by several causes, including:

  • Joint cartilage degradation with aging;
  • Facet joints degeneration due to usage;
  • Injury to the joints as a consequence of physical trauma;
  • Stress on the facet joints results in inflammation, which sends electrical impulses to the spine's neuromuscular junctions.

How Do Doctors Diagnose Facet Arthropathy?

Your physician will perform a screening test to discover the source of your discomfort. They would also inquire regarding your discomfort as well as your health records.

To determine if you have facet arthropathy, your doctor may perform several of the following measures:

  • Scan with a CT scanner or an MRI scanner: Even in mild to severe instances, such imaging methods can reveal signs of facet joint deterioration.
  • Bone Scans: This examination, which measures bone mineral density, can indicate active inflammatory regions in your vertebrae.
  • Anti-Inflammatory Injections: Facet arthropathy is diagnosed when steroid and anesthesia injections reduce your lumbar discomfort.

What Are the Treatments for Facet Arthropathy?

Facet arthropathy can be treated in a variety of ways, depending on the severity of the symptoms. Doctors may use painkillers, surgical options, or physiotherapy as different treatment options for Facet Arthropathy.

  • Pain-Relieving Medications: NSAIDs, Ibuprofen, and Toradol are examples of pain-relieving medications. Individuals may also benefit from inhibitors like Celecoxib and analgesics like Acetaminophen, popularly known as Tylenol.
  • Physiotherapy Options: Many patients might benefit from physiotherapy, muscle strengthening, limiting activities that worsen the pain, and medicines like NSAIDs like ibuprofen and naproxen. A skilled therapist will help you exercise your muscles to your entire range of motion during a physiotherapy session. This will help your muscles heal, get back to their original position, and allow your joints to withstand more weight and load than before.
  • Shockwave Therapy: Shockwave therapy is another treatment option that looks more effective than injections in terms of long-term results. The same technique that dissolves gallstones is used in shockwave therapy. According to results, this form of therapy can help more than 90% of patients regain knee and joint movements without any issues.
  • Surgical Options: Surgical options to alleviate the discomfort of facet arthropathy may be a choice for people who have explored all other options. In nerve damage, spondylolisthesis, lumbar instabilities, and related motor function problems, a surgical alternative is an excellent treatment for facet arthropathy.

How Can You Prevent Facet Arthropathy?

Deterioration of the vertebrae only gets worse with time. Therefore, your problems are unlikely to get better. Implementing your physician's treatment regimen, on the other hand, can significantly lessen your facet arthropathy discomfort, allowing you to lead a healthier lifestyle. You can further consult your doctor to determine which medical therapies are appropriate for you.

If you want to prevent facet arthropathy from the beginning, there are numerous preventative measures for you. Maintaining healthy body weight is among the topmost options for you. Excess weight puts additional pressure on your joints. So, incorporate a healthy diet and a workout regimen into your daily routine, and you can lead a healthier life into your senior years.

Moreover, you can also avoid injuries to the spine to avoid any joint-related issues. This may sound improbable since accidents can happen at any time. However, you can take safety measures, such as obeying traffic rules, avoiding heavy weight lifting, and more to protect your spinal cord from such injuries.

If you are an athlete or like to play with your buddies on the weekends, make sure to wear protective gear. This way, you can protect your neck, backbone, and knees in case of a collision. A good posture also helps maintain joint flexibility and prevent face arthropathy. Lastly, talk to a doctor and add bone supplements, such as Vitamin D and calcium pills, into your daily routine for a better joint structure and bone health.

Facet Arthropathy is manageable with the right treatments. You can easily manage the symptoms of Facet Arthropathy once you understand the range of treatment options, underlying causes, and risk factors.

Similarly, you can visit any spine and pain center Columbia MD, and get medical assistance from a skilled healthcare professional. The physician will devise a suitable treatment plan per your unique conditions.

Photo: Sasun Bughdaryan, Unsplash