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Facet Disease Overview

When there is a breakdown of your spine’s facet joints, pain, swelling and tenderness can occur. This facet disease overview will help you understand the causes, symptoms and treatments related to this degenerative disease.

Facet joints are located behind, and between, your spine’s vertebra and are responsible for your spine’s motion and flexibility. After undergoing millions of turning motions every year, however, these joints and their layer of cartilage can break down, particularly as you get older.

The causes of facet disease include general wear and tear, genetics, poor posture, age, trauma, and obesity. Facet disease also can be caused by spondylolisthesis, a condition in which one vertebra slips forward in relation to the vertebra below. To learn more about why facet joints are prone to breakdown and injury, review our degenerative facet joints page.

Facet disease symptoms can mimic stress fractures, strained muscles and slipped discs, making a self-diagnosis tricky. Symptoms might include inflammation, lower back pain, muscle spasms, swelling and joint or muscle stiffness.

If, after reading this facet disease overview, you believe your back pain is due to this condition, contact your healthcare provider. He or she will be able to make a proper diagnosis and prescribe appropriate treatment. For an in-depth look into treatment, review our facet disease treatments page.

Click Here to see how you can get your life back in 5 days

On occasion, some patients diagnosed with facet disease require more than standard treatment to live a fully-functioning lifestyle once again. Fortunately, there are other options available for pain relief, including the innovative, minimally invasive procedures performed at Laser Spine Institute. Recovery times are quicker and success rates are much higher at LSI than through other treatments like open-back surgery, leaving you free to get out on the golf course or tennis court once more! Contact us today for a free MRI or CT scan review, and to receive more information about our institute.

Please note: Laser Spine Institute currently does not perform endoscopic procedures on the thoracic spine.