Unfortunately, facet disease symptoms are rarely confined to the back or neck. Instead, they usually affect several different parts of the body, either because joint inflammation or bone spurs are causing neural compression, or because joint stiffness or tension is transferring muscle tension to other regions. For instance, it’s not uncommon for someone with facet disease in the neck to experience headaches, while someone with the condition in their lower back may have to deal with a pins-and-needles sensation in their hips, buttocks, or legs. Due to the tendency of facet disease symptoms to be far reaching, a treatment plan will need to be comprehensive and address the entire body.

Make Lifestyle Modifications

It would be nice if a simple dose of medication or the application of an ice pack could eradicate facet disease symptoms for good. However, facet disease is a degenerative condition that usually results from many years of wear and tear; treatments will, therefore, be aimed at managing symptoms with lifestyle modifications and slowing the progression of the condition, not finding a magical cure-all.

Modifying your activity level is a good place to start managing your facet disease symptoms. If you are relatively inactive, talk to your doctor about beginning a moderate exercise routine that may include walking, swimming, or gentle stretching. If you are extremely active, determine how you can make your exercise regimen less stressful on your joints. For instance, if you’re a jogger, consider elliptical training, hiking, or walking stairs instead. If you frequently lift weights, try doing isometric strength-building exercises with resistance bands.

The Benefits of Ergonomic Furniture

While it’s important to modify your activity levels to accommodate facet disease symptoms, it’s also necessary to find relief from discomfort while you’re at work. Ergonomic furniture is designed to make employees more comfortable so that they can work more productively. If you sit behind a desk for long periods of time, an ergonomic office chair may prove helpful. This chair would likely include lumbar (lower back) support, a wide, mesh back that supports your entire cervical spine (upper back and neck), and adjustable armrests. This type of chair will help you maintain healthy posture while at work, thus taking strain off of your facet joints.

Choosing the Right Mattress

So we’ve covered the time you spend at work and the time you spend being active, but what about the time you spend asleep? Many people think that if you’re asleep, your body is automatically at rest in a healthy position. Sufferers of facet disease who have woken with unbearable pain in their neck or back will be the first to tell you that this simply isn’t the case. A mattress, just like a work chair, needs to be supportive so that your spine can stay in a completely neutral position. Choose a medium-firm mattress with lumbar support. Many mattresses even come with electronic components that allow you to adjust their contours with a remote control. A contoured foam pillow will also help support your neck and all of your cervical facet joints.

Conservative Treatment Methods

In addition to these lifestyle modifications, there are a variety of conservative treatments that can help you achieve additional relief from facet disease symptoms. Talk to your doctor about the possibility of prescription or over-the-counter analgesics or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, physical therapy, thermotherapy (heat therapy), cryotherapy (cold therapy), or yoga.

Author Bio: Patrick Foote is the Director of eBusiness at Laser Spine Institute, the leader in endoscopic spine surgery. Laser Spine Institute specializes in safe and effective outpatient procedures for the treatment of facet disease and several other spinal conditions.

Category: Medicines and Remedies
Keywords: Facet disease