Facet Syndrome Treatment

Most of the time, facet syndrome treatment is not necessary. This condition is a normal part of the aging process and usually does not cause any pain in the majority of people. There are rare cases where facet syndrome symptoms are severe and might require treatment.

facet syndrome treatment

Treatments for facet joint pain offer mostly symptomatic relief. No surprise here�

Ongoing treatment of conditions such as facet joint syndrome, is the main perpetuator of the chronic back pain epidemic. The only thing worse than convincing people that a relatively symptom-free condition requires ongoing treatment, is the flip side of the coin�

A medical cure is really only available with surgery.

Flip the coin. Odds are, either side is a loser for facet syndrome�

Facet Syndrome Treatment Options

* Physical Therapy. (Increases the comfortable range of motion and increases circulation and oxygenation.)

* Medicine. Another(!!!) use of drugs for back pain.

* Heat. Unusual treatment for a skeletal disorder. If heat therapy works, the diagnosis of facet syndrome is most likely incorrect. Heat works best for pain due to oxygen deprivation or muscle injuries.

* Chiropractic. Manipulation of bones that are in pain from movement� Makes sense? Not really. Relief from chiropractic might indicate another real cause of the pain.

* Posture. Patient learns how to move more comfortably.

* Acupuncture. (all natural symptom relief.)

* Surgery. Last resort Laminectomy and / or spinal fusion, for severe unresolved pain. There are some newer treatment options that will destroy the nerve endings in the actual facet joint. This minimally invasive outpatient procedure is called facet rhizotomy. It offers a good alternative to traditional surgery for chronic facet joint pain.

For more detailed information, see my TREATMENT page.

Recommendation for Facet Syndrome Treatment

Remember that facet syndrome is normal. Many of us will get it as we age. You can not expect to have gray hair, wrinkles, and be far sighted, but still have the facet joints of an 18 year old�

It is unlikely that severe pain is caused by facet syndrome. If you have minor symptoms, relax. Try some conservative treatments. I would recommend holistic and natural treatments over pharmaceutical pain relief. If surgery becomes your only option, make sure to be confident in the diagnosis and the surgeon, to improve your chances of a positive result.

If you suffer from chronic treatment-resistant facet syndrome, I would recommend knowledge therapy as an alternative approach to a real cure. It worked for me�

Facet Syndrome Treatment to Back Pain Home page 7/20/06 Revised 4/21/08