Facet joint syndrome is a type of osteoarthritis that affects the joints in the spine. It can result in neck and back pain, stiffness, soreness, and other unpleasant symptoms. When symptoms of facet syndrome start to interfere with daily activities, it’s important to know that there are treatment options available that can help you manage your pain.
Common Facet Joint Syndrome Treatments
After confirming that facet joint syndrome is the underlying condition that’s causing your symptoms, your physician will likely take a conservative approach to treatment. Six common treatments that you can consider for facet joint syndrome are:
- Having a balanced diet. By eating a healthy diet, drinking plenty of water, and limiting alcohol consumption, you’ll help your spine stay healthy. Plus, these measures can lead to weight loss, which will reduce the amount of pressure on the spine.
- Staying active. Engaging in low-impact exercises like walking and swimming can help strengthen the spine and retain the range of motion. Water aerobics is an increasingly popular option due to the buoyancy and support of the water, which minimizes impact on the joints.
- Physical therapy. For a more targeted approach, you can work with a physical therapist to learn techniques designed to strengthen and stretch the muscles that support the spine. This can help provide stability to the spine in areas where the joints have weakened.
- Taking medications. Over-the-counter pain relievers and anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen and aspirin can provide short-term relief when symptoms are particularly painful.
- Using hot and cold compresses. Hot compresses help to improve circulation while cold compresses can numb the area that is in pain from facet syndrome.
- Alternative therapies. While the medical community does not have a consensus about this approach, some patients find that holistic approaches such as acupressure, chiropractic care, and herbal supplements are effective as facet syndrome treatment. Always work closely with your doctor when considering these options.
Treatment with BEST
These treatment options have great potential to help patients find relief from facet syndrome symptoms. At BEST Health System, we promote conservative therapies, but sometimes, surgery is necessary. In this case, we recommend one of the minimally invasive surgical procedures with BEST Health System. Contact us to learn more about surgery with BEST.
