Lumbar facets joint pain

INTERVENTIONAL RADIOLOGY

Minimally Invasive Alternatives to Surgery

Lumbar Spine Facet Joints

Each vertebra has two sets of facet joints. The superior articular facet faces upward and works like a hinge with the inferior articular facet (below).

Facet joints are found in the cervical (neck), thoracic (mid back), and lumbar (low back) spine. These joints allow the spine to flex, extend, and rotate. The medial branch nerve innervates (stimulates) the facet joint. As we age, or secondary to trauma (such as whiplash), the facet joints can be damaged and develop arthritis similar to other body joints.

Facet joint pain produces back pain and may radiate (travel) into the hips, buttocks, and posterior thighs. While arthritis is commonly detected by x-ray or MRI, the presence of arthritis/facet hypertrophy (increased joint size) does not always mean it is the cause of low back pain. Your doctor may examine these joints during an examination and determine if they are contributing to your back pain.

Treating Facet Joint Pain with Radiofrequency Ablation

Low Back Pain
Degeneratied Discs
Disc Herniation
Lumbar Spine Stenosis
Facet Joint Pain
Epidural Injections
Nerve Block
Discogram

Neck Pain
Cervical Nerve Pain
Cervical Spine Stenosis
Myelopathy

Cervical Spine Topics

Spine Pain and Treatment

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Lumbar Spine Topics