In-depth information on facet joint problems and their symptoms, including osteoarthritis, as well as treatment options such as facet joint injections and lumbar laminectomy back surgery (open decompression)
TOPS™ Total
Posterior Arthroplasty Clinical Study for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis*
January 5, 2007
A clinical study of the TOPS™ Total Posterior Arthroplasty System for the
treatment of leg pain associated with moderate to severe spinal stenosis of the
lumbar spine. Read more...
TFAS™ Total
Facet Arthroplasty System™ Clinical Trial*
February 1, 2006
The TFAS™ clinical trial is a multi-center, prospective, randomized controlled
clinical trial comparing the safety and effectiveness of the TFAS™ to spinal
fusion surgery in the treatment of moderate to severe degenerative lumbar spinal
stenosis. Read more...
Osteoarthritis
Health Hub
August 9, 2006
In-depth information on osteoarthritis of
the spine (or spinal arthritis), including diagnosis and strategies
for osteoarthritis pain relief such as arthritis medications
and exercise. Written and peer reviewed by physicians
who specialize in spine medicine. Read
more...
Range of osteoarthritis symptoms
June 7, 2005
Osteoarthritis is characterized primarily by joint pain and stiffness, although
not everyone with osteoarthritis actually experiences pain and disability. Other
symptoms of spinal arthritis include joint swelling and warmth, low back pain,
and nerve irritation in the legs. Read
more...
By: Charles D. Ray, MD
Osteoarthritis medical diagnosis
June 7, 2005
The medical diagnosis for spinal osteoarthritis usually
includes a discussion of symptoms, a detailed medical
history, and a physical exam. Other tests, such as x rays, blood tests, MRI or
CT scans may also be used to diagnose spinal arthritis. Read
more...
By: Charles D. Ray, MD
Effectiveness of glucosamine
and chondroitin sulfate for osteoarthritis
(Research article)
April 19, 2005
Although there is not yet a proven treatment to stop or slow the progression
of osteoarthritis, glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate nutritional supplements
may provide a viable alternative for some patients. An FDA study on the effects
and safety of glucosamine and chondroitin dietary supplements is currently underway,
and many physicians support their use because of the low incidence of serious
side effects (compared to other medications, such as COX-2 inhibitors and other
NSAIDs). Read more...
By: Thomas E. Hyde, DC
Radiofrequency neurotomy for facet
and sacroiliac joint pain
December 27, 2004
Radiofrequency neurotomy is a pain management option for certain types of back
pain that uses a heat lesion designed to interrupt the nerve's pain signals to
the brain. This article explains the injection process as well as the expected
results. Read more...
Facet
technologies (Research article)
July 1, 2002 (updated August 4, 2005)
Facet joint degeneration and disc degeneration frequently
occur together. Facet arthritis (degeneration of the
facet joint) is currently a contraindication for any
type of disc replacement. Proper spinal motion requires
normal function of both the disc and facet joints.
Read
more…
By: Jack Zigler, MD
Lumbar
laminectomy (open decompression)
September 8, 1999 (Updated March 30, 2001 and
December 18, 2003)
A lumbar laminectomy (open decompression
surgery) is effective to decrease pain and improve function
for patients with lumbar spinal stenosis, a condition
that is caused by degenerative changes that result
in enlargement of the facet joints. Read
more…
By: Peter F. Ullrich, Jr., MD
Facet
joint disorders
December 10, 2002
Facet joints are in almost constant motion with the spine and can simply wear
out or become degenerated over time, leading to a process that produces bone
spurs and an enlargement of the joints. These facet joint disorders can produce
considerable back pain or neck pain on motion. Read
more...
By: Charles Dean Ray, MD
Understanding
cervical spondylotic myelopathy
August 31, 2001
A very common disorder causing dysfunction of the spinal cord, cervical spondylotic
myelopathy (CSM) refers to impaired function of the spinal cord caused by degenerative
changes of the discs and facet joints. Read
more...
By: Thomas M. Wascher, MD, FACS
Facet
joint osteoarthritis
September 8, 1999 (Updated February 28, 2001)
Osteoarthritis (or degenerative arthritis) can cause breakdown of cartilage
between the facet joints. When the facet joints move, the lack of the cartilage
causes pain as well as loss of motion and stiffness. Read
more...
By: Peter F. Ullrich, Jr., MD
Cervical
osteoarthritis
March 29, 2000 (Updated February 28, 2001)
Just as in the lumbar spine, the facet joints in the cervical spine can degenerate
and cause pain and loss of motion. Treatments for facet joint problems
causing cervical osteoarthritis are usually conservative rather than surgical. Read
more...
By: Peter F. Ullrich, Jr., MD
Lumbar
spinal stenosis
September 8, 1999 (Updated February 28, 2001)
Facet
joints tend to get larger as they degenerate. Unfortunately,
as the facet joint enlarges, it can place pressure on
the nerves as they exit the spine, causing spinal stenosis. Read
more…
By: Peter F. Ullrich, Jr., MD
Bone
spurs (osteophytes) and back pain
October 10, 2000
While bone spurs are an indication that there is degeneration of the spine,
these bony growths are not usually the actual cause of the pain. Normal
life stressors compounded by traumatic injuries to the spinal architecture
cause degeneration in the discs and the facet joints of the spine. With age,
injury, poor posture there is cumulative damage to the bone or facet joints
of the spine. Read
more...
By: John H. Schneider, MD
Injections – facet
joint block
September 8, 1999 (updated March 29, 2000)
In cases where the facet joint itself is the pain
generator, a facet block injection can be performed
to alleviate the pain in the facet joints. Facet
block injections are a diagnostic tool used to isolate and confirm the specific
source of facet joint pain for the patient. Read
more…
By: Peter F. Ullrich, Jr., MD
Osteoarthritis and facet joint problems – The doctor is in!
April 19, 2005
In this section, Peter F. Ullrich, Jr., M.D., an orthopedic spine surgeon and Medical Director for Spine-health.com provides answers to patients’ common questions about diagnosing and treating osteoarthritis and facet joint problems. Read more…
Facet joint and epidural injections – The doctor is in!
April 19, 2005
This section addresses patients’ questions about
undergoing facet joint injections and epidural steroid
injections for pain management. Answers are provided
by Peter F. Ullrich, Jr., M.D., an orthopedic spine
surgeon and Medical Director for Spine-health.com.
Patients’ inquiries on injections for pain relief
from back problems were submitted by e-mail, and we’ve
posted some common questions and responses here. Read
more...
* sponsored clinical trial
Please note that these additional patient resources(such asThe Back-to-Back Forum and Newsletters)on Spine-health.com are not peer-reviewed by the Spine-health.com Medical Advisory Board. They are provided as additional resources for patients to learn from the experiences of others and to gain information from our popular newsletters.
