Facet joints are indeed one of the crucial joints in the body located at the back of your spine. It helps in maintaining the alignment of vertebral column and restricts its movement beyond the limits of stretching. Facet joints can develop inflammation causing pain and discomfort and sometimes these joints can move from its original place due to degeneration. This can cause facet arthropathy.
Facet arthropathy can cause considerable pain on the lower back and in many cases it can cause disability restricting certain movements. Facet joint problem has become very common nowadays due to sedentary lifestyle and wrong food habits.
There are certain conditions that may present symptoms very similar to that of facet arthropathy. Health conditions like deep infection in the spine, inflammation of cervical facet joint, a fracture and tearing of muscles in the spine can produce intolerable pain and restrict the movements of affected person. And some of the health issues of neck can produce symptoms close to facet joint inflammation. It is very much necessary for the doctor to thoroughly investigate the problem by several tests before deciding on the problem.
Facet Arthropathy Signs and Symptoms :
Intensity of pain on the lumbar and cervical joints varies from one person to the other. Sometimes there can be sharp acute episodes of pain that may last for few minutes. Pain is usually unpredictable which may occur few times or several times a month. The affected facet joints can develop inflammation and becomes tender and many times the person may lose muscle flexibility in the lower back.
There can be discomfort and pain when the person tries to bend forward or lean backward. Back pain may start from the facet joints and proceed downwards till the buttocks region and sometimes even felt on the back of upper leg.