Facet Joint Pain treatment – Facet Osteoarthrosis
Does this happen to you?
Does your back pain get worse after sleeping or resting?
Do you have low back pain that gets worse when turning, bending backwards or standing?
Back pain due to lumbar facet arthrosis can be caused by several factors.
To eliminate your back pain you have to put yourself in the hands of specialists in spinal traumatology.
Take the first step towards a full and pain-free life with Regenerative Medicine.
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Specialists in the treatment of facet osteoarthritis in Valencia
At Regenerat Traumatology Clinic, we are specialists in the diagnosis and treatment of facet arthrosis, as well as other spinal pathologies.
Our objective is to:
- Determine the cause of your lumbar facet arthrosis, cervical…
- Perform the appropriate diagnostic tests to determine the extent of your back ailment or injury.
- Apply regenerative traumatology treatment or orthopedic surgery to relieve your pain so that you can recover your well-being as soon as possible.
We want to help our patients using the safest, most successful and least invasive treatments possible!
English-Speaking Orthopedic Doctor for International Patients
Dr Carlos Mairal, an orthopedic surgeon and trauma specialist in regenerative medicine, provides medical care in English for international patients.
If you are looking for cutting-edge treatment for musculoskeletal injuries, osteoarthritis, or tendinopathies and prefer to communicate in English, Dr Mairal will offer you personalised care in a professional and welcoming environment.
Book your appointment today and receive expert care from an English-speaking orthopedic doctor.
What is facet joint pain due to arthrosis?
What are facet joints?
The facet joints, also called zygapophyseal joints, are flat synovial joints located at the back of the spine, which connect the vertebrae to each other.
There are two joints between each pair of vertebrae located on either side of the spine. The facet joints provide stability to the spine. Normally, the facet joints are lined with cartilage and synovial fluid.
What is facet arthropathy?
Facet arthropathy is a painful and arthritic condition of the facet joints.
Spinal nerves exit the spinal cord between the vertebra and the facet joints. In the front, the vertebra rests on a contained spongy disc, while in the back, each of the two facet joints rests on the facet joint below it.
In a healthy spine, the spinal disc and facet joints support each other for healthy and safe motion. Facet osteoarthritis, also known as facet joint syndrome is related to the aging process.
The loss of cartilage and synovial fluid in these joints causes friction due to contact between the bones. This results in the appearance of osteophytes or bone spurs in the facet joints that form along the edges of the bones.
Lumbar facet hypertrophy l5-s1
The loss of cartilage integrity in the facet joints generates instability and facet hypertrophy or excessive inflammation that may cause the patient to experience pain.
Lumbar facet hypertrophy at l5-s1 is the most common. Facet joint arthropathy is often associated with chronic low back pain and stiffness in movements.
What are the causes of facet joint pain due to arthrosis?
Possible causes of low back pain due to facet arthrosis include:
- Injury to the ligaments that attach the muscles to the vertebral discs.
- Compression or pinching of the spinal cord roots.
- The hard, protective covering of the spinal cord known as the dura mater.
- Muscular disorders of the lower spine and facet joints.
Other causes:
- Facet arthropathy may be affected by generalized arthritis of other joints seen in ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
- Trauma such as small undiagnosed fractures, disc tears, cartilage rupture or hemorrhages in the area may be some associated findings.
- Rheumatoid arthritis is associated with facet damage, especially in the middle and lower lumbar areas.
- Bertolotti syndrome or transverse megapophysis.
We regularly observe patients with damaged and dysfunctional vertebral discs, who present with facet joint damage at the same level of the spine.
Loss of intervertebral disc height and function increases stress on the facet joints at that level, which can cause wear and tear and damage over time.
Lumbar vertebral facet arthrosis causes low back pain.
Individuals with low back pain may also present with radiological evidence of osteoarthritis. The severity of symptoms also correlates with the degree of damage seen on CT scan.
Unusual facet joint orientation and ligament enlargement may be associated with facet disease.
The synovial capsule may become distended and inflamed, putting pressure on the spinal nerves. When combined with degenerative arthritis and joint instability, the pain of facet syndrome results in low back pain.
What are the symptoms of facet joint osteoarthritis?
The most common symptoms of facet osteoarthritis include pain and swelling around the joint.
- When a cervical joint is affected , it causes pain that is usually felt in the neck radiating to the shoulder.
- If the joint is in the back, the pain is felt in the lower back radiating to the buttocks and upper thigh.
- Development of other conditions, such as bone spurs and spinal stenosis.
The characteristics of the pain that facet arthropathy causes include:
- Pain that worsens after sleep or rest.
- Low back pain that worsens with twisting, bending backward and standing.
- Pain centered in a specific area of the spine.
- Dull pain in one or both sides of the lower back.
Unlike the pain caused by sciatica or herniated discs, the pain of facet arthropathy does not usually extend down the legs, but does reach the buttocks and hips.
Diagnosis of facet osteoarthritis
Dr. Antonio Vilatela, a spine specialist, makes the diagnosis.
There is no specific X-ray or imaging test, such as CT or MRI, to diagnose facet arthropathy, as many of the same findings are found in asymptomatic patients.
The most conclusive test for the diagnosis of vertebral osteoarthritis of the facet joint is the ultrasound-guided injection of contrast material, anesthetic agents and corticosteroids into the joint.
If the pain improves by 80% after injection, pain relief after injection confirms the diagnosis of facet joint osteoarthritis.
Treatment of facet osteoarthritis
We apply the latest advances in treatments to halt osteoarthritis and address the pain and symptoms caused by facet arthropathy, available to the spine specialist.
Conservative treatment of facet osteoarthritis begins with the application of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs such as Aspirin, Ibuprofen …. and analgesics to reduce pain such as Paracetamol.
Physical therapy exercises , strengthening exercises and avoiding movements that aggravate symptoms are other initial measures for the treatment of facet osteoarthritis.
Most patients with sacroiliac joint osteoarthritis are stabilized with conservative care for 6-8 weeks.
Intraarticular corticosteroid injections
Intra-articular corticosteroid injectionsand medial branch blocks of steroid/numbing medications under radiographic guidance, as well as ablation by radiofrequency (RF) technique to block pain sensation are two standard therapies.
Treatment of facet osteoarthritis PRP Platelet Rich Plasma
PRP infiltrations are used in traumatology to stimulate the natural healing response that achieves the recovery of mobility, strength and normality of injured tissue.
In these cases, prolotherapy and/or intra-articular PRP injections are a relatively new and increasingly popular option.
Effective application in patients with facet joint pain, with benefits that last for many years.
Prolotherapy
Prolotherapy is a technique involving the injection of an irritant (hyperosmolar dextrose solution) in the treatment of chronic painful musculoskeletal conditions.
The most frequently published indication is in the treatment of chronic low back pain, but there are recent studies that have examined its use in the treatment of refractory tendinopathies, as well as osteoarthritis.
Prolotherapy may be useful in treating chronic low back pain when combined with complementary therapies, such as spinal manipulation or platelet-rich plasma injections.
The irritating agents used in prolotherapy stimulate stem cell activity and have enormous benefits for nerve and musculoskeletal conditions.
Our regenerative therapy with prolotherapy simultaneously provides pain relief and helps tissue regeneration by activating these stem cells.
Rather than merely masking symptoms, regenerative medicine treatments aim to cure the underlying pathology that causes pain and disability.
Radiofrequency treatment (facet blockade)
Lumbar facet block using radiofrequency rhizolysis provides longer lasting relief for those suffering from pain due to facet osteoarthritis compared to cortisone injections.
It prevents patients from undergoing aggressive treatments such as surgical fusion of these joints.
In our clinic we combine platelet-rich plasma therapy with thermal radiofrequency of the dorsal root medial branches to provide our patients with rapid symptomatic improvement along with the benefits of comprehensive restoration of damaged tissues.
Surgery for facet arthrosis
For patients who have exhausted conservative therapies, surgical techniques may be an option to alleviate cases of low back facet pain caused by nerve compression, spinal stenosis, spinal instability and associated motor or sensory symptoms.
Total lumbar facet replacement” surgery preserves motion.
The facet joints are removed and replaced with artificial joints. This restores healthy height and motion to the damaged part of the lumbar spine.
For mild to moderate facet arthropathy presenting with a degenerative vertebral disc at the same level, artificial disc replacement is also an option.
The controlled motion of the new generation ESP and M6 artificial discs protects the facet joints, and when natural height and motion are reintroduced at the damaged spinal level, rehabilitation of the facet joint is possible.
Spinal fusion surgery
If the patient is not a candidate for a motion preservation solution, a spinal fusion may be offered as a “last line of defense”.
In most forms of spinal fusion, the surgeon removes the facet joints between the levels of the spine to be fused, effectively eliminating the facet joints as a source of future symptoms.
Why choose Regenerat clinic for your sacroiliac joint pain treatment in Valencia?
Leaders in facet joint arthropathy treatment in Valencia
Regenerat Clinic is your premier centre for back pain treatment.
Cutting-edge Technology
We utilise high-resolution ultrasound scanners for accurate diagnosis, precise lesion localisation, and implementation of our advanced techniques in the affected area.
This approach allows us to be less invasive, effectively relieving and often eliminating your back pain in Valencia, thus improving your health and quality of life.
Patient Testimonials
Our patients value our experience and multidisciplinary treatment.
We offer innovative solutions unavaiable at other clinics and hospitals, offering pain treatments that in many cases avoid the need for surgery, such as transforaminal epidural blocks and pulsed radiofrequency techniques.
Other causes of back pain
Back pain can have its origin in any of these structures, but in most cases, this pain is not a consequence of any significant damage to the spine.
This pain usually comes from surrounding muscles, ligaments or joints and occasionally from problems in the vertebral discs.
The most frequent pathologies, conditions and treatments for back pain are the following:
- Sacroiliitis joint pain: Process of wear and tear and loss of cartilage in the sacroiliac joint (junction between the support of the pelvis and the lower region of the spine).
- Facet joint arthropathy: Facet joint syndrome is related to the aging process, the loss of cartilage and synovial fluid in the joints of the spine.
- Herniated disc surgery: For spinal injury when one of the intervertebral cushioning discs suffers a tear or rupture.
- Pain after back surgery: sometimes patients experience improvement, but as scar tissue forms, leg and back pain reappears or increases.
- Coccyx pain: is pain at the base of the spine at the top of the buttocks. It is one of the most common causes of back pain in sports.
- Spondylolysis: frequent in young athletes, even teenagers, who practice sports such as gymnastics, pole vaulting and soccer.
- Spondylolisthesis: is a condition of the spine that occurs when one vertebra is displaced or has slipped forward or backward over the one below it.
- Muscle back pain or muscle-ligament strain: is the most common sports injury caused by an injury to the soft tissues surrounding the spine.
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Specialists in Regenerative Medicine and Physiotherapy in Gandía
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Regenerat is a paediatric and adult trauma clinic, specialising in regenerative medicine treatments that delay and, in many cases, avoid orthopaedic surgery.
Our patients get an unbiased diagnosis and we offer you various surgical and non-surgical treatment options.
The most common pathologies treated at our medical center are osteoarthritis, back pain, tendon injuries, and sports injuries.
Serving patients from Denia to Javea and throughout Alicante: Expert care at our Gandia clinic.
We are located at C/ Ciutat de Laval, 23, 46702 Gandia, Valencia, Spain.
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Contact information
☎ 961 146 834
info@regeneratclinica.com
Schedule
Mornings – 9:30am – 14:00pm
Afternoons – 16:00pm – 20:00pm
Saturday & Sunday – Closed
Regenerat Clinic in Catarroja
Carrer Emili Ferrer Gómez, 4, 46470
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C/ del Mestre Lorenzo Fuertes Julvez, 14, 46901
Regenerat Clinic in Gandia
C/ Ciutat de Laval, 23, 46702 Gandia, Valencia
