Home

www.chiropractieonline.nl

Facet Irritation

About

Reach behind and feel the back of your neck. This is your cervical spine. Cervical facet irritation is a painful condition affecting the joints in this area, called the cervical facet joints. These are responsible for connecting the vertebrae (individual bones) in the spine, providing the cervical spine with protection, allowing for normal range of motion, limiting excessive range of motion and preventing the vertebrae from locking together.

People with cervical facet irritation have problems with these joints, and for that reason primarily complain of neck stiffness, often accompanied by shoulder pain and upper back pain. The pain tends to worsen when they tilt their head back in a way that compresses the irritated area.

Cervical facet irritation develops when there's inflammation of the facet joints. Awkward neck movements, subluxations (stuck or misaligned joints), acute injuries, poor posture and tightness in the muscles that attach the back and shoulder to the cervical spine can place stress on the cervical facet joints and limit their motion, which leads to irritation and local pain.

Subluxations are major contributors to the condition, because they limit the joints' ability to move through their normal range of motion, preventing them from functioning properly. When the joints are aligned and able to move through their normal range of motion, they lubricate themselves and remain healthy. When subluxated, however, they no longer lubricate themselves and begin to stick, like an unused door hinge. This stickiness causes irritation.

Such problems generally occur after people hold their neck in a particular position for a long time or develop poor posture or sleeping habits. If you have ever fallen asleep and woken up with a sore, stiff neck then you've probably experienced this. While you were sleeping, your neck was most likely in a vulnerable position. Some occupations, like secretarial positions, also tend to cause this, because of the neck's angle while people are looking at their computer or holding a phone to their shoulder. Jobs that require staring at a computer screen, answering telephones or lifting heavy objects can strain neck and back muscles, increasing people's risk of the condition.

If the causes and symptoms of cervical facet irritation sound familiar, see your healthcare practitioner as soon as possible. Cervical facet irritation is closely related to cervical facet syndrome, a more serious condition that involves referred pain in the shoulder, upper back and sometimes back of the head. Facet irritation often precedes facet syndrome, particularly when people don't get their facet irritation cared for properly.

Fortunately, your healthcare practitioner can provide effective care for cervical facet irritation to restore movement in irritated joints, relax tight muscles, and promote overall healing.

Anatomy

The spine is a complex part of your body, comprised of three main sections: the lumbar spine at the bottom, the thoracic spine in the middle, and the cervical spine at the very top. Together, they function to protect the nerves in the spinal cord and support the body.

The cervical spine is made up seven vertebrae, which are the spinal bones. Movement of the cervical spine is similar to that of a slinky, as each vertebra is stacked upon another like the coils of a slinky. Facet joints are located at the back of each vertebra, and work to connect the spinal bones. They have a gliding motion that allows for movements in the spinal column, while at the same time restricting excessive motion.

Each of these joints is lined with cartilage, a soft spongy substance that insulates and cushions, and is surrounded by a capsule, which provides lubrication and support. When your cervical spine is healthy and moving through its normal range of motion. This keeps the vertebrae healthy and helps you stay free of pain.

Problems begin when the facet joints get swollen and irritated, as a result of being subluxated or stuck. Subluxations are commonly a result of poor posture, everyday wear-and-tear, or trauma to the neck (a motor vehicle accident, for example, could cause whiplash and lead to subluxations). These subluxations prevent the normal function of the joints, decreasing their mobility and irritating surrounding nerves and soft tissues.

As mentioned in the About section, chiropractic care is effective for this condition, as it can help restore joint motion and spinal function. But to prevent the symptoms from returning, you must be willing to modify your daily activities to accommodate the needs of your cervical spine.

Chiropractic Care

Chiropractic care offers safe, natural and effective management for cervical facet irritation. After determining that you have the condition, your chiropractor can use spinal manipulative therapy (SMT), cervical traction, trigger point therapy, muscular release technique and physiotherapeutic devices to ensure that your spine and the surrounding muscles are healthy and functional.

SMT, also known as an adjustment, can correct subluxations (stuck or misaligned joints) in your cervical spine, enabling it to function properly. To perform adjustments, your chiropractor will use his or her hands or a tool called an activator to apply quick, strategic thrusts to misaligned joints. This will restore the joints' normal position and range of motion, leading to less pain, less inflammation, more relaxed muscles and improved function and movement.

Cervical traction is another important methods of care your chiropractor may use to reduce pain and remove inflammatory products. The procedure works by utilizing a vacuum that develops when your chiropractor gently pulls your neck upward to take pressure and weight off the cervical facet joints. When he or she does this, the joints open up and inflammatory products get sucked out, helping to relieve pain.

To improve the health of muscles around the joints, your chiropractor may also use trigger point therapy. Trigger point therapy works by returning tight muscles to their natural state. If your chiropractor uses this type of care, he or she will target muscle tissue that is in contracture, which is a state of excessive shortening that makes parts of muscles feel like taut bands or nodules. By applying pressure to these areas, called trigger points, for about 10 seconds, your chiropractor can return the muscle tissue to its appropriate length and remove irritating waste products, which decreases pain and relieves tension.

To further promote muscle health, your chiropractor may use muscular release technique, which helps to facilitate the growth of healthy tissue. The body sometimes compensates for weak or damaged muscles by laying down scar tissue, which is supportive but doesn't have the same properties as regular tissue. To perform muscular release technique, your chiropractor will slide his or her hands along the muscle's surface, thereby removing scar tissue and helping to heal damaged tissue.

Physiotherapeutic tools like ultrasound and interferential current (IFC) can also be helpful for cervical facet irritation, as they decrease pain and promote healing. Ultrasound refers to any sound wave that has a frequency above the range the human ear can perceive. To produce these waves, chiropractors use a machine that channels electricity through a crystal located at the end of an applicator. The crystal vibrates in response to electricity, and the machine allows users to alter the electrical current to affect the waves' frequency. Depending on the frequency, this can increase blood flow, decrease pain, reduce muscle spasm, lessen nerve root irritation, break down scar tissue and speed healing.

IFC works in a similar way, but instead of sound waves it sends a painless electrical current through the skin into nerve fibers below, which causes the body to produce endorphins, its natural painkillers. By aiming the impulses at the cervical spine, your chiropractor can cause endorphins to interrupt the flow of pain signals from the affected tissues to the brain.

To ensure your cervical facet irritation doesn't return, your chiropractor may also suggest a number of strengthening, stretching and postural exercises. By strengthening weak muscles in your neck, you can eliminate muscle imbalances that can cause one muscle group to tug on the facet joints and cause a misalignment. Stretching and postural exercises also help to maintain maximum muscle efficiency in the cervical region, which promotes proper joint function and movement.

If the symptoms of cervical irritation flare up, your chiropractor may also recommend that you use a cold application. During the first 24 to 72 hours of the condition's development, a cold application, like an ice pack, can reduce swelling and pain in the irritated joint. Cold applications work by numbing pain receptors and constricting blood vessels. Constricted blood vessels release less inflammatory fluid, which decreases painful swelling

SMT, cervical traction, trigger point therapy, muscular release technique and physiotherapeutic devices are effective modalities for cervical facet irritation. But they're not always enough to prevent future problems. To avoid a recurrence of the condition you should speak with your chiropractor about what factors caused it and implement lifestyle changes to prevent them from causing further harm.


Top

Newsletter Sign Up

3D Spine Simulator


Launch 3D Spine Simulator

Community Content