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Facet Disease


Facet Disease

You may not be familiar with the word facet or degenerative facet disease, and yet may need facet disease treatment. The facet or spinal joints are located on both sides on the back of the spine. They are located at each level of the spine where a disc is present. Together with the disc, facets are responsible for the movement of the spine and play a role in providing support to your spine. Like all joints in the body, there can be degeneration and aging, wear and or trauma. Facet disease is caused occurs when there is degeneration of the facet joint. Facet disease is characterized by worn-down cartilage as a result of aging, injury or overuse. Another common term for facet disease is facet arthritis. Arthritic facets can contribute to spinal stenosis and pinching of spinal nerves. In the condition called degenerative spondylolisthesis, the joints have allowed for abnormal and excessive movement, which can result in spinal instability, possibly causing pain numbness or weakness.


Symptoms related to facet joint problems could be localized to the back of the spine at the level involved. The facet problem can also cause nerve irritation, which can result in pain in the area particular to the nerve involved. An example of this can be hip or leg pain. Facet problems can occur in the cervical (neck), thoracic (mid-back) and lumbar (lower back) areas.



Facet Disease is a form of arthritis, caused from overall back joint wear and tear. Our highly sensitive pain-mapping techniques can often pinpoin which facet or facets are causing the problem. Depending on the symptoms of the facet disease and the relevant anatomy, there are additional minimally invasive surgical techniques available. If you need facet disease treatment or degenerative disc treatment, MISI can provide relief.

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