Cervical Facet Syndrome: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

Cervical facet syndrome occurs when the small stabilizing joints in your neck, part of the cervical spine, become inflamed or worn down, causing chronic neck pain. This condition, also known as facet disease, can lead to persistent cervical facet pain, making it difficult to turn your head or sleep soundly. Let’s explore what causes this common type of neck pain and what you can do to find lasting relief.

The cervical area of the spine includes the neck and upper shoulders, near the neck. Chronic pain in this part of the body makes it difficult to complete some of the most basic daily tasks, such as work, household activities, driving, family responsibilities, and more.

Understanding the Cervical Spine: Anatomy and Function

Are you experiencing pain and problems with your cervical facet joints? The symptoms can vary from one patient to the next, depending on the location of the joint and the severity of your condition.

Common symptoms include:

• Local pain in the affected joint
• Stiffness or soreness in the neck and surrounding areas
• Headaches
• Limited neck mobility

As this condition progresses, other complications can occur. For example, some patients also have the presence of bone spurs, which happen due to a loss of cartilage between the bones. The body tries to restabilize the joint using small bone spurs, which can increase a patient’s pain experience.

Broader Neurological Symptoms

Why are you having problems with your cervical facet joints? This syndrome can happen because of a variety of triggers.

Often, patients have a specific event that caused an injury, such as an accident, whiplash, or blunt trauma.

Additionally, this syndrome can develop because of daily lifestyle factors. Sitting with an abnormal posture can put pressure on the joints, eventually leading to tissue degeneration between the joints.

The most common cause of cervical facet syndrome is the natural aging process. As the body ages, the structure starts to change – which can increase the risk of weakness and pain in the joints. Therefore, this syndrome most often affects people later in life.

Treating Cervical Facet Pain: Injections and Other Options

Minor pain affecting the cervical facet joints might reduce with at-home treatments and self-care. But if you find that this pain is getting worse or continuing longer than two weeks, it’s unlikely that the pain will go away without medical intervention.

In fact, untreated cervical facet syndrome can lead to chronic pain. The condition is most effectively treated when addressed in the earliest stages. If you notice symptoms, the best solution is to talk to a doctor as soon as possible for a diagnosis.

Instead of living with the pain, it might be time to talk to a doctor about available treatment options. Our team is here to help with an in-depth diagnosis process, including a variety of treatment solutions to address immediate pain and help you avoid complications in the future.

How Do You Treat Cervical Facet Pain?

One effective solution for treating cervical facet pain is using injections in the joint. This process involves injecting medications into the actual facet joints located between each set of vertebrae.

The facet joints run along the spine from the tailbone to the neck, and injections are placed in the target area where the pain is originating.

Here is an overview of what you can expect during a cervical facet joint injection:

The doctor uses digital imagery to identify the optional place for this injection. By using a needle, a medication combination is injected into the joint, usually including an anesthetic for immediate relief and a steroid to reduce the inflammation.

This treatment can be used in one or more cervical facet joints, depending on your individual needs. Not only does the injection help with treatment, but it is also beneficial for diagnosis as well.

Non-Surgical Treatments

If you decide to have a cervical facet joint injection, there are a variety of modern tools that we use to ensure your comfort and the success of the treatment.

This appointment starts using an IV to help you relax if needed. You will be lying on an x-ray table, and the doctor will cleanse the skin in the affected area of the spine. Then, you will feel a slight stinging sensation as the numbing medication is injected into the area.

Next, the x-ray machine is used to guide the doctor when inserting a small needle into the joint. Finally, several drops of contrast dye are helpful to make sure the medication goes into the joint directly. The final injection is a combination of the anesthetic as well as anti-inflammatory cortisone.

Epidural Steroid Injections

Another effective minimally invasive procedure is an epidural steroid injection. While often associated with nerve root pain, an epidural injection in the neck at levels like C6-C7 can help reduce inflammation in the area of the facet joints, providing relief from cervical facet pain. This treatment is particularly useful when inflammation is a primary factor contributing to the symptoms of facet disease.

Why This Treatment Is Helpful

When you are considering whether a facet joint injection is the right treatment for your condition, it can be helpful to talk to a pain medicine specialist about your unique symptoms.

Keep in mind that painful joints not only cause localized pain, but this pain can also radiate into the arm, shoulder, neck, or head. This type of chronic pain often takes a toll on many areas of your life.

There are several reasons why we like to use facet joint injections as part of the pain management process:

• Diagnosis: Injecting the anesthetic into the joint helps us confirm or deny that the joint is the root cause of your pain. If we are targeting the right joint, then you will likely experience immediate pain relief.
• Ongoing Pain Management: The steroid medication effectively reduces inflammation, which offers ongoing relief. We use time-released cortisone, which can have a lasting effect and be an essential part of an ongoing treatment plan.

What Will Happen After the Joint Injection Procedure?

For the first 20 or 30 minutes after the injection, you will likely experience the typical pain when moving that area of the body. However, we recommend that you continue paying attention to how the pain severity and intensity changes over time.

For example, it’s a good idea to use a pain management journal to record the relief you are experiencing after the treatment. Depending on the joint we targeted with the treatment, it might take longer than the first few hours to notice a difference in your pain.

In some cases, patients feel slight discomfort or weakness for the first few hours after injection. Some people even have an increase in pain that can last for several days.

These symptoms occur after the numbing medication wears off but before the full effect of the cortisone takes place.

You might benefit by using ice packs for the first 2 or 3 days after injection. However, if you don’t notice an improvement in symptoms within 10 days after the injection, then it’s unlikely that you will experience any additional benefits from the treatment.

Can Facet Syndrome Be Cured?

Doctors are continuing to research cures for this syndrome. However, since there isn’t a known cure for facet syndrome, the best recommendation is to focus on pain management to optimize your lifestyle.

Pain Management for Cervical Facet Syndrome

If you are experiencing either severe or chronic back pain, then our team at Kentuckiana Pain Specialists is here to help. We use a two-step approach to reduce your immediate pain and help you find long-term solutions to improve your lifestyle.

Learn more about our comprehensive pain management solutions, including alternative treatment and personalized support. You can find our office in Louisville, Kentucky. Call our office at (502) 995-4004.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I tell if my neck pain is from a facet joint problem or just a muscle strain? Muscle pain typically feels like a dull, persistent ache and often improves with a few days of rest, stretching, and heat. Facet joint pain tends to be a sharper, deeper pain that gets worse when you tilt your head back or turn it from side to side. It can also trigger headaches or send pain into your shoulders. The only way to know for certain is to get a professional evaluation, which may involve a diagnostic injection to confirm the exact source of your discomfort.

Is the facet joint injection procedure painful? We do everything we can to ensure you are comfortable. The process starts with a local anesthetic to numb your skin, which feels like a quick pinch or sting. As the needle is guided into place, you might feel a sensation of pressure, but it shouldn’t be sharply painful. We can also provide light sedation to help you relax completely. Most patients report that the procedure is very tolerable.

How long will the pain relief from a cervical facet joint injection last? This really varies for each person. The numbing medicine in the injection offers immediate relief for a few hours, which helps us confirm we’ve targeted the right spot. The steroid medication then begins to reduce inflammation over the next several days. The resulting pain relief can last anywhere from a few weeks to several months. The primary goal is to give you a window of comfort so you can effectively participate in physical therapy and build long-term strength.

What’s the difference between a facet joint injection and radiofrequency ablation? A facet joint injection is designed to reduce inflammation directly inside the joint using a steroid medication. Think of it as putting out a fire. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) takes a different approach by targeting the specific nerves that transmit pain signals from that joint to your brain. RFA uses heat to interrupt these signals, which can provide longer-lasting relief, often for six months or even more. An injection is often used first to confirm which joint and nerves are causing the problem.

If this condition can’t be “cured,” what is the long-term plan for managing it? Managing a chronic condition is about creating a sustainable strategy that improves your quality of life. Your long-term plan will be personalized to you but often involves a combination of treatments. This could include periodic injections to control flare-ups, alongside an ongoing commitment to physical therapy exercises that keep your neck strong and stable. We will work with you to adjust this plan over time, ensuring you have the tools to stay active and control your pain effectively.

Key Takeaways

• Understand the Source of Your Pain: Chronic neck pain often originates from small joints in your spine called facet joints. A precise diagnosis, sometimes confirmed with a diagnostic injection, is the key to creating a treatment plan that actually works.
• Start with Conservative Care: The most effective treatment plans begin with non-surgical options. Physical therapy to strengthen your neck muscles, posture adjustments, and anti-inflammatory medications can provide significant relief and are the foundation of managing facet joint pain.
• Consider Targeted Procedures for Lasting Relief: If initial treatments don’t provide enough relief, minimally invasive options can make a big difference. Procedures like facet joint injections and radiofrequency ablation directly target the source of the pain signals, offering a way to manage discomfort long-term without major surgery.

Related Articles

• Cervical Facet Joint Injection – Kentuckiana Pain Specialists
• What Is Cervical Facet Syndrome? Symptoms, Causes, Treatments – Kentuckiana Pain Specialists
• Radiofrequency – Kentuckiana Pain Specialists
• Pain Management Treatments | Kentuckiana Pain Specialists