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cure back pain

Facet Joints

Facet Joints The facet joints are the areas of each individual spinal bone which connect the vertebrae together. These joints are also called Zygapophysial Joints or Apophyseal Joints. These articulated spinal joints are an evolutionary wonder which help to provide our spines with both structural integrity as well as flexibility.

Facet Joints / Design

The vertebral body is the flat piece of bone which gives the spine its structure and weight bearing capacity. Projecting out from the rear of the vertebral body are dual spinal joints. These consist of the superior articular facet, which projects upwards, and the inferior articular facet, which projects downwards. These joints link to the vertebrae above and below to provide a flexible yet strong connection between the spinal bones. Spinal joints allow front to back and side to side motion.

Facet Joint Protection

Each spinal joint is encapsulated in protective tissue which helps to lubricate the joint and allows for smooth and frictionless movement. This protective capsule contains synovial fluid which keeps the joint moving without friction or abrasion. The actual surfaces of the bones are coated with cartilage which also helps to protect the joints from wear and tear.

Facet Joint Degeneration

Spinal joints suffer from the same degenerative processes as the rest of our bones and joints. The most common forms of spinal joint degeneration are arthritic changes leading to the loss of protective cartilage, reduction in lubricating synovial fluid and increased bone on bone contact which often produces bone spurs (osteophytes). Additional information on spinal joint pain can be found in my section devoted to facet syndrome

Recommendation on Facet Joints

Spinal joints are well designed. They have evolved over countless generations to serve us well and provide us with a proper balance of support, structure, flexibility and strength. Recently, modern medicine has concluded that the completely normal degenerative processes that occur in these joints are to blame for many cases of back pain. In some cases, this is true and patients will develop some pain from their substantial spinal degeneration. However, the majority of patients with long term chronic back pain are not suffering from any degeneration related pain at all. These patients have usually been misdiagnosed and are actually suffering from the most pervasive form of chronic back symptoms… psychosomatic back pain. If your diagnosed spinal joint pain does not respond to treatment, chances are that your diagnosis is incorrect. If this sounds like your experience, I suggest learning more about knowledge therapy to cure your pain forever.
Facet Joints to Back Pain Home page 5/21/07 Revised 6/9/07

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