Frozen facet joint

[FrEe BiRd]

Hi

I got a case of acute lower back pain last October that put me off work for 3 days and was very painful. I could barely move.

I saw an osteopath who diagnosed a frozen facet joint.

What the hell is a facet joint and how do thet freeze?

He didn't really help much but eventually the acute pain left for a chronic one.

Nearly a year later I get really stiff and painful getting out of bed or off the settee and I can't bend over without leaning on something and bracing myself and I can't even carry a bag of shopping without pain.

It's all bearable but pissing me off.

I'm 42, male and was very active. Now I'm not.

Any ideas much appreciated..................

 

[ben a]

Oh dear, that sounds a real drag.

There are lots of therapies that might help you, Luke - one or two osteopaths here, too, lots of Reiki people, EFT-ers and so on.

What was it that started off your back pain?

Here's a link to an article expaining what a facet joint is - with pictures: http://www.physioroom.com/injuries/back/facet_syndrome_full.php

Fx

 

[zasek]

Hi,
I can sympathise with you, its so hard when your an active person and then it seems you are unable to do anything.
Last year I had an episode with my lower back which eventually turned out to be 4 locked facet joints.I was trying to protect my back at all times and no activity which just made it worse. stiffness numbness pain! This went on for months. Eventually I had about 3 physio sessions where they manipulated my spine. Once they did this and I got back into running I've had no more problems with it.
It's worth looking into and maybe your doctor will refer you to an NHS physio.
Hope I've help a little, and don't let it get you down too much.Good luck

Helen

 

[jaybone7997]

Facet joints are the small articulations of the spine, they provide control of movement and lots of information to the brain. Hence, when working well they are quite tough, but when they become irritated we know all about it.

They tend to freeze only for a reason. To protect an area from movement, initially the muscles create the lock, then other changes slowly develop. When the body detects that forces or movement are about to overload a joint, movement is restricted reflexively to prevent damage. The pain is there to warn you to back off whatever is stressing the joint. In times of stress we can also override our inbuilt protective mechanisms, which can further complicate the picture.

Treating the joint directly often brings enormous relief quickly, but is often the more difficult option. Remember the joint is already in trouble, so unless the whole problem is dealt with and not just the sore bits then success will be limited at best, and the longer term response can even be increasing stiffness as the body does not like being told to let go of adaptations it needs.

To put this another way, treatment does need to be aimed at cause, in this case it is usually the mechanics of the whole spine and beyond, why they are overloading the painful area thus. This includes general health, occupation, lifestyle etc, lots of factors to consider.

More importantly, the problem most likely didn't develop overnight, we only feel the effect of the last straw, so it can take a while to reverse the changes, and the process can be a bit of a rollercoaster. But you'll usually know early on if this is the way forward.

Hence I wouldn't give up on osteopathy necessarily, although I am sorry you've had a lacklustre experience of it. But I would suggest getting another opinion. All osteopaths are different, which can be a strength of our profession and not just a weakness. Start by contacting the most experienced practitioner you can find, based on personal recommendation if you can, and speaking to them beforehand to discuss the problem.

Good Luck.