You must have observed quite a few people around you complaining of stiffness in their backs every now and then. In the present day, this ailment has become quite common. An increasing number of people are experiencing sudden pulls in their vertebrae, stiffness in their lower backs, or a feeling as if their joints are locked. The discomfort caused by this can be severe. It can make it painful to perform even basic day-to-day functions, such as sleeping, sitting down, walking, and even while turning left or right. However, there is nothing to worry about in this situation because there is no issue with the vertebra socket as such. The issue is with the joint that holds the vertebra together. This is commonly known as the “Facet Joint”.
Facet Joint: The critical function of this joint is to facilitate the bending and the turning of the upper body in different directions. So when there is a swelling at this joint or the joints seem to be locked out of movement, it is known as “The facet Joint Syndrome”.
The pain from this condition can be severe, which can often cause pangs of anxiety in the victim. But it can be easily cured by identifying it properly and committing it to some common yet effective treatment.
The cartilage within the Facet Joint gets weathered over age and time. This is why a lot of people experience discomfort while sitting, walking, turning from side to side, or even standing upright, after a certain age. This is also Arthritis of the spine.
Common Reasons for this Pain
The most common reasons for this kind of ailment have been observed to be back injuries, heavy strain on the facet joint, heavy lifting of weights, sudden jerks during movement and old age.
Common Reasons for this type of Arthritis
The spine has the function of transferring the weight of the entire upper body onto the legs in a steady manner. Let’s see how arthritis advances.
With the progression of age, the muscles begin to start getting feeble, which increases the pressure on the cartilage in the Facet Joint and causes it to get weathered. This is the first development in the arthritis of the spine. Next, the pressure of the body weight on the vertebra socket begins to mount, causing it to be pushed down. This is a crucial part of advancement in arthritis, because if remedial measures are not taken at this stage, then the body spurs a growth of new bones around the joints. This phenomenon is referred to as “Bony Spur”. Once a bony spur has proliferated around the joint, it creates pressure on the nerves surrounding the spine area which leads to the spread of the pain onto the legs too. This condition is referred to as Spinal Canal Stenosis.
“The most common reasons for this kind of ailment have been observed to be back injuries, heavy strain on the facet joint, heavy lifting of weights, sudden jerks during movement, and old age.”
Symptoms
The most obvious symptom of Facet Joint Syndrome is shooting pain in the spine of the victim while bending down or while turning the upper body towards left or right. In some cases, the pain occurs while even turning the neck from one side to another, wherein the patient has to turn the entire body around to be able to see in any other direction. In some other cases, the pain persists in the lower back region, wherein the patient finds it difficult to sit in a chair or stand upright without inflicting considerable pain on their self. Besides these symptoms, other symptoms such as weakening of the muscles, pain, exhaustion, and experiencing a tingling sensation are also indicative of arthritis of the vertebrae.
Remedy
If you experience any of these kinds of back and vertebra pain or feel your everyday routine coming to a halt because of these, do not worry
- Take ample bed rest. This will help ease the pain to a good measure.
- Apply an ice pack at the point of distress for ten minutes, 3-4 times a day.
- Refrain from any kind of activity that can lay a strain on the back.
- Avoid sitting upright for long periods or driving cars.
- Do not lift any kind of weights.
- Try avoiding lying down on soft, uneven surfaces and try lying down straight on a hard, even, and smooth surface. This will help in realigning the disturbed joints to their original straight position, hence helping the joints to unlock by themselves and granting pain-relief.
