Facet Hypertrophy

Facet hypertrophy is a diagnosis which is often blamed for chronic back pain. Hypertrophy of the spinal facet joints is another name for facet joint syndrome. The condition is a normal degenerative process that occurs in the spine as we age. The majority of people will develop comparable arthritic changes in the spine as they get older. A minority of these people will experience any pain in their spinal joints. Only a small percentage of this minority will actually have pain due to their degenerated facet joints. The rest are actually suffering from some other form of back pain that has been misdiagnosed.

Facet Hypertrophy

Facet Hypertrophy Condition

The spinal facet joints are the posterior areas where individual vertebrae meet the vertebra above and below it. These joints provide flexibility and structure for the spine. The facet joints are surrounded by a synovial capsule of fluid, cartilage and connective tissue. This protective capsule insures fluidity in the joint and effortless, pain free operation. As we age, the protective mechanisms in this capsule deteriorate and create what doctors call facet syndrome. This condition can cause true physical pain, but is more often a scapegoat on which to blame other forms of non-physical back pain.

Facet Hypertrophy Patients

Patients diagnosed with facet syndrome are immediately affected by the nocebo effect of the pronounced diagnosis. The very idea that their spines are degenerated is enough to scare some patients half to death! It is no surprise that most patients have a increase in the severity of their symptoms after positive diagnosis of this condition.

Doctors do not have a clear explanation why almost all of us show identical physical signs of vertebral facet joint degeneration, yet only some of us experience pain and symptoms. There is also no explanation why so many treatments directed at the physical cause of this condition demonstrate such poor results. Patients are left feeling hopeless and permanently damaged by their defective facet joints. Meanwhile, medical science makes BILLION$ treating this condition�
with the aforementioned poor results�

Facet Hypertrophy Reality

Many patients diagnosed with facet joint pain are actually suffering from some form of psychological back pain. This is the most common type of all the chronic back pain syndromes. If you are experiencing bouts of unresolved back pain that has resisted all forms of treatment, there is a good chance that you fit into this category. It would be wise to investigate knowledge therapy for an alternate theory on the nature of your pain and the possibility for a true and permanent cure.

Facet Hypertrophy to Back Pain Home page 4/11/07 Revised 5/31/07