How can I sleep with lumbar facet pain?
A change in sleep positions takes immense pressure off the facet joints. Doctors typically recommend sleeping curled up on your side, or on your back with your knees up and a pillow underneath. Some traction, strengthening exercises, water therapy, and/or spinal manipulation can be helpful as well.
What helps lumbar facet joint pain?
Treatments that may be performed at home to relieve lumbar facet pain include:
- Applying heat therapy.
- Using a cold pack.
- Supporting the lumbar curve.
- Avoiding activities that worsen the pain.
- Staying active.
- Engaging in low-impact exercises.
- Using a supportive brace.
How do you keep your facet joints healthy?
Self-care: To prevent painful episodes of facet joint syndrome, you need to keep your spine aligned and use correct posture. Your doctor may also suggest that you improve your sleeping, sitting, and standing habits. Losing those extra pounds can also alleviate your pain by reducing the load on your joints.
How do you reduce facet joint inflammation?
Conservative Treatments for Facet Joint Pain Pain from Facet Joint Syndrome can be treated conservatively with postural correction, physical therapy, massage, and chiropractic adjustment. These treatments can reestablish normal motion and increase the strength of the surrounding muscle to help support your spine.
Can a chiropractor help with facet joint pain?
Treatments for Facet Joint Syndrome Facet syndrome is treatable with nonsurgical or surgical methods. Patients can use heat therapy, anti-inflammatory medicine, and physical therapy exercises. A chiropractor can perform spinal manipulations for rapid back pain relief, and also provide guidance on postural improvements.
What are the symptoms of lumbar facet joint syndrome?
Radiating pain locally or into the shoulders or upper back, and rarely radiate in the front or down an arm or into the fingers as a herniated disc might. Lumbar facet syndrome can be characterised by following symptoms: Pain or tenderness in lower back. Local tenderness/stiffness alongside the spine in the lower back.
What causes pain in the facet joints of the back?
The effects of aging and/or traumatic injury can damage the facet joints and is the leading cause of back pain known as facet joint syndrome. The cervical, thoracic and lumbar facet joints allow your neck and back to bend forward and backward and are a common source of spine-related pain. Photo Source: Shutterstock.
Where are the lumbar facet joints located in the spine?
The joints are located on either side of the spinal canal and just behind the disc, which is located in the front of the spinal canal. The joints help limit spinal joint movement and add stability to the spine. When these facet joints are injured, they become inflamed and the biomechanics of the lower lumbar spine may be changed.
Which is the best treatment for facet joint syndrome?
For chronic cases of facet joint syndrome, where the pain relief from the injections is short-lived a procedure called Radiofrequency Rhizotomy can be performed. This procedure should be performed by a pain management physician with experience in this type of procedure.
