What is a facet syndrome?
The facet syndrome belongs to the degenerative (wear-related) diseases of the spine and describes a complex of different signs of disease (syndrome) in advanced wear of the small vertebral joints (spondylarthrosis). Spondylarthrosis itself can either occur as an independent, leading clinical picture, in which case it is referred to as a facet syndrome, or it can be the cause of other clinical pictures (e.g. spinal canal stenosis, root compression syndrome). The clinical picture occurs predominantly in the lower lumbar spine (lumbar spine), but can also affect the vertebral joints (facets) of the cervical spine (cervical spine), and most rarely those of the thoracic spine (thoracic spine). Local back pain with increase under stress and improvement at rest are the leading signs of the disease. Damage to the intervertebral discs, as occurs after a herniated disc, can be the cause of the facet syndrome.
Symptoms of a facet syndrome
The leading symptom of facet syndrome is pain along the spine. As a result of many years of wear and tear of the vertebral joints, facet syndrome can occur in all areas of the spine, but it is most common in the lumbar spine (lumbar spine). The pain is caused by an inflammation at the facet joint and can thus be provoked and intensified locally by pressure.
In addition, the pain often radiates. The conduction depends on the height of the original joint. With affected vertebrae of the lumbar spine, radiating into the leg is typical.
In the thoracic spine, the conduction can be felt more on the upper body. If the cervical spine is affected, the pain can radiate into the arms, hands and fingers. This is a so-called pseudo-radicular pain.
Radix” refers to the nerve root that originates at the affected joint. The pain spreads along the course of the nerve cords, but without causing the typical irritation at the nerve root. In facet syndrome, this usually means that there is no tingling or numbness, and the range of the pain is also smaller.
As the joint wears down, the joint surfaces and joint capsules are also affected. As a result, joint fluid can leak and the joint capsule can become inflamed, causing severe pain locally in the spine. This pain can be provoked by applying pressure above the affected vertebra.
Depending on the course of the facet syndrome, the pain radiates along the nerve cords emanating from the affected vertebra. In the lumbar spine, the legs are often affected by the pain, in the cervical spine it is mainly the shoulders and arms. Although the thoracic spine is rarely affected, it can cause pain along the ribs.
