Neck Pain and Lower Back Pain complexities? Neck Pain and Lower Back Pain are the 2 most common forms of pain in the human anatomy, yet the cause of either can be complex at times due to so many different causes. One of those is often very difficult to diagnose, frequently overlooked, and is therefore labeled as a secret or hidden cause. That hidden cause or secret source of Neck Pain or Lower Back Pain is known as Facet Joint Pain or Facet Syndrome. Facet Joint Pain or Facet Syndrome, is a chronic pain syndrome or condition directly related to pain in the facet joints.
What is a Facet Joint and what is Articulation? A Facet Joint is a posterior spinal joint that interfaces two adjacent upper and lower vertebrae together. Also known as a Zygapophyseal Joint, the Facet Joint provides for motion known as Articulation within defined ranges of motion. The articulation of a Facet Joint includes bending forward: flexion, bending backward: extension, and twisting: Cervical or Thoracolumbar rotation. The joint is stretched and unloaded during flexion and compressed or loaded upon extension. Facet Joints are also joint range limiters to prevent damage to spinal discs from excessive range of motion movements.
Do Facet Joints have the characteristics of Synovial Joints? The most common joints in the human body are Synovial Joints, and Facet Joints are most definitely Synovial Joints. Synovial Joint and Facet Joint characteristics include having Synovial fluid within a joint capsule that lubricates the inside of the joint. The outside of the Facet Joint has cartilage between the upper joint surface of each vertebra and the lower joint surface of each vertebra that enables smooth gliding movements when flexing, extending, or twisting.
What could cause Facet Arthritis or Facet Arthropathy? Facet Arthropathy or Facet Arthropathy is a Chronic Pain condition that can be caused by wear and tear, degeneration of the cartilage surfaces, joint capsule. Facet Arthritis or Facet Arthropathy represents a form of facet joint inflammation and is one of the syndromes of Facet Joint Pain.
What could affect Joint Movement? Facet Joint movement or articulation should be smooth without restriction. If the joint becomes stuck or fixated in the open or closed position or in the partially open or partially closed position, then Facet Joint Pain is often the result. When muscles surrounding the Facet Joint Dysfunction become hypertonic-extremely tight and splint or support the problem, then additional pain is often experienced. The Facet Joint Dysfunction in itself can cause pain and the musculature that surrounds the joint could have a problem that is causing the joint to become stuck open or closed, resulting in Facet Joint Pain.
What are some Facet Joint Pain causes? Some causes of Facet joint pain are: Wear and tear, Degeneration of Cartilage surfaces, Joint Capsule or associated Vertebral Discs, Injury or Trauma, Incorrect posture, Excessive forward head posture, Forward Pelvic Rotation, Abnormal spinal curvature, Hyperlordosis-excessive arch in the lower back, Scoliosis-Lateral Lumbar spinal curvature.
What are some common Symptoms of Facet Syndrome for the Lower Back? The initial onset of pain might be related to a rotational spinal injury or a spinal injury involving hyperextension of the spine. Lower back facet joint pain symptoms include increased pain upon side bending or twisting or arching the lower back or torso, lower back pain or tenderness, deep dull aching pain that moves to the buttocks or the back of the thighs, and/or stiffness or difficulty with certain movements, such as standing up straight or getting up out of a chair.
What are Facet Syndrome Symptoms for the Neck-Cervical? Neck symptoms for Facet Join pain include Headaches, Shoulder Pain, and/or difficulty side bending or rotating the head, as well as Neck Pain. The pain scale for the associated problems would be indicated by a Facet Joint Pain Assessment. A history of some kind of Neck Injury such as a whiplash could be the source of the problem.
Is Facet Joint Articulation restricted? Articulation is the single most important question that needs to be answered, and if we conduct a special test known as the spring test which can test for basic joint movement, we can maybe hope to have some kind of answer.
Can Facet Joint Pain be relieved with Special Exercises? Yes, an experienced Medical Massage Therapist will be able to formulate an effective exercise treatment plan to relieve Facet Joint Pain. If the cervical (neck) spine is affected by excessive forward head posture and hypertonic neck musculature, there are strengthening and stretching exercises for postural correction and hypertonicity reduction that will definitely reduce facet joint pain. Lumbar facet joint compression can be caused by Lumbar Lordosis and hypertonic hip flexors and hypertonic lower back musculature. Stretching and strengthening exercises to reduce joint compression and help prevent joint fixation can help to reverse the postural distortion that has occurred and will reduce facet joint pain.
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