The Facet Joint
The facet joints in the spine are small joints located between your vertebrae. They are important structures which help with spinal mobility and guide movement during activities such as bending, leaning backwards and twisting.
Like any joint in the body, the facet joints often become quite irritated from overloading your back, inflammation or wear and tear from age related changes. When this occurs, this can become a source of stiffness in the lower back and cause low back pain.
Typical symptoms of facet joint pain include:
- Pain on rolling over in bed
- Pain whilst sitting to standing
- Stop start walking
- Long distance walking
- Stiffness and pain first thing in the morning
- Pain which is localised to the lower back
Unlike problems such as sciatica, facet joint pain remains localised to the lower back and does not travel below your knee.
Click here to read more about sciatica
What are the courses of facet joint pain?
Wear and tear (age related changes)
As we begin to age, the facet joints undergo normal wear and tear changes that are similar to other joints in the body. These changes can be seen on scans and X-rays and may be the contribution to stiffness and discomfort.
Repetitive loading
Activities such as sports that involve repeated extension and twisting or occupations that involve a lot of lifting, rotation and twisting may place increased pressure and load on the facet joints.
Previous Injury
Sudden twisting, awkward lifting or an increase in loading activities can irritate the facet joints and surrounding muscles.
Spinal stiffness and lack of mobility
Stiffness in the spine or hips may increase stress and load on the lower spine and facet joints during daily activities.
How is facet joint pain diagnosed?
Facet joint pain is mainly diagnosed through a detailed assessment by the Physiotherapist. Your physiotherapist will find the problem by identifying what movements trigger your pain.
Physiotherapy treatment focuses on:
- Improving mobility
- Improving strength and endurance
- Improving movement control
- Returning to normal activities or sports
Pain Management
Over the counter pain medication such as ibuprofen and paracetamol are often first line pain management treatments whilst you see the physiotherapist.
Prognosis and Outlook
Generally positive. Most people improve with physiotherapy, rehabilitation and a gradual return to activity. The Physiotherapy treatments generally involve manual therapy applied to your spine combined with focused exercise therapy to improve muscle strength around your spinal joints.
If you have had a scan and it shows wear and tear in your facet joints, it doesn’t mean that your back will worsen or stop improving. Many people manage facet joint pain and return to full activities.
When should you seek physiotherapy advice?
You should seek an assessment by one of our Physiotherapists if:
- Your symptoms are not improving
- Your pain is affecting work, sleep and family life
- You develop leg pain, weakness or numbness
- You become concerned about the cause of your pain
- You stop doing what you enjoy such as sport and activity
At Rugby Physio, our experienced physiotherapists assess and treat facet joint pain, lower back pain and other spinal conditions from our private clinic in Rugby. Following a detailed assessment & examination, an individual treatment programme will be designed for you to help reduce your pain, improve movement and get you back to work, exercise and the activities you enjoy doing.
To book for Physio or if you have any enquires, please send us a message & leave us your contact number using this form and we will get back to you.