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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.* Pain Management Drugs - Another(!!!) use of pharmaceuticals 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 a mistakenly identified source of pain. * Posture - Patient learns how to move more comfortably. * Acupuncture is an all natural symptom reliever. * Back 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 comprehensive information, see my page detailing BACK PAIN TREATMENTS. Recommendation for Facet Syndrome TreatmentRemember 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 for a positive result. If you suffer from chronic treatment-resistant facet syndrome, I would recommend knowledge therapy as an alternative approach to finding a real cure. It worked for me…
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