Joints of the spine

Joints of the spine: Facet joints


Having discussed what a disc it seems obvious to talk about the joints that lay either side of the disc; the facet joints.

These are essentially designed the same from the neck to the bottom of the back but vary on the angle they sit to allow different ranges of movement to occur.  When all are working as they should, they allow the spine to move in every way imaginable. 

Facet joints can cause problems when they stop moving.  This could be due to a number of reasons.

Because they move continuously in day to day life they can wear out like any other joint.  The cartilage that lines the joints can break down becoming thinner and that is when pain and inflammation can occur.

Even though it doesn't necessarily press on a nerve the pain can refer into the legs or arms via a method called referred pain. In response to this wearing process the joints actually enlarge as the body places extra bone around the area to help. This can in turn cause pressure on the nerves leading to pins and needles and numbness. 

This degeneration process is termed arthritis or spondylosis when it is specific to the spine. 

Sometimes these facet joints can be perfectly healthy but just get 'stuck'. This can occur especially in the neck and lead to a sudden loss of mobility and a lot of pain.  Luckily with treatment these settle quickly and you can go back to normal life a few days later.