Facet Syndrome

What is Facet Syndrome or Spinal Arthritis ?

Facet joints are the small joints between each pair of vertebrae that allow your spine to twist and bend safely. They are covered with cartilage and are aligned to glide and rotate smoothly so you avoid back injury. However, if the cartilage which lines these small facet surfaces wears down due to trauma, postural problems and wear and tear, the nerve passage way through which nerves pass through can reduce in size causing nerve pain as well as the facets can wear down enough to cause stiffness, swelling, and tenderness as well as bone spurs are common symptoms of Facet Syndrome.

What are the Symptoms and Causes of Facet Syndrome?

Symptoms of Facet Syndrome can be misleading as they are also common with other issues such as sciatica and bulging or herniated discs. Individuals will also experience varying degrees of pain. Symptoms include:

• Swelling, stiffness and pain in the neck or lower back
• Intermittent and unpredictable pain throughout the day
• Pain due to weather changes
• Tenderness over the spot of the facet joint
• Loss in muscle flexibility
• More pronounced pain when leaning backward than when leaning forward
• Low back pain radiating down into the buttocks and back of the upper leg
• Cervical pain
• Headaches
• Pain radiating into the shoulders or upper back
• Pain running down an arm or into the fingers
• A grinding sound when moving the back Abnormal curve of spine
• Increased pain when standing or sitting for prolonged periods

Aging is a common cause of facet joint pain due to thinning, drying cartilage which increases friction. Other causes can include:

• Acute injury or trauma to joints
• Repetitive strain through sports or work
• Being overweight

Facet Syndrome Treatment Options

Dr. Ron Nusbaum created his own unique system of care to deliver rapid, non-invasive, and long-lasting lower back and neck pain relief. The first of its kind in Canada, the High-Performance Healing SystemTM has succeeded where other conventional treatments have failed. The system involves three steps:

Non-Surgical Spinal Decompression

Spinal decompression is a non-invasive procedure that delivers painless, precise and accurate targeted stretching of the damaged disc, causing a reduction of pain, inflammation which jumpstarts the healing of the disc and of course the back pain it causes. Think of Spinal Decompression, a kind of an outside in healing approach.

Class IV Summus Therapy

Laser therapy, also called photobiomodulation, is used to help heal the damaged disc responsible for back or neck pain. This powerful, deep penetrating laser light is specifically aimed at the damaged discs. The laser light then interacts with the cells of the damaged discs to ultimately promote pain relief, reduction of inflammation and enhancing tissue repair of the spinal disc. Think of laser therapy as a kind of an inside-out job, just the opposite of spinal decompression.

Disc Renewal Plus™

This all-natural nutritional supplementation system was formulated with the goal to support reduction in pain and inflammation and support the healing of damaged connective tissue (discs are made of this). Disc Renewal Plus™ has a similar role to play in back pain healing as Class IV K-l laser, but from a nutritional perspective. Disc Renewal Plus™ is custom formulated by Dr. Nusbaum and available exclusively only to patients of Back Clinics of Canada.