Your spine is made up of many parts that work together to support your body and help you move. While many people think about the disks between the bones, the small joints called facets that connect these bones are just as important. When these joints develop arthritis, they can become painful and make everyday activities like standing, twisting or looking up more difficult.
At Banner Health, our spine specialists examine and treat facet arthritis using a personalized approach. We consider your symptoms, do a physical exam and look at imaging tests. We offer advanced treatments to help reduce pain and improve your quality of life.
Your spine is made up of 33 bones called vertebrae. These bones protect your spinal cord and help support your body. Between most of the vertebrae are soft, cushion-like disks that absorb shock when you move. At the back of each vertebra are a pair of small joints called facet joints that connect one vertebra to the next.
Facet joints work together with the disks in your spine to help you move smoothly and keep your spine stable. They allow you to:
Like your knees, hips and shoulders, facet joints are a type of joint called synovial joints. Each facet joint has:
Healthy facet joints help your neck and back move comfortably while preventing excessive movement that could hurt your spine.
Facet arthritis is a type of osteoarthritis that affects the small joints in the spine called facet joints. It is a common cause of neck and lower back pain.
Over time, the cartilage in these joints can wear down or become thinner. This can cause pain, swelling and less movement in the joint. Sometimes, the body makes extra bone growth around the joint called bone spurs.
Facet arthritis can happen in different parts of the spine:
Facet arthritis is also known as facet joint arthritis or facet arthropathy. When it is the cause of neck and back pain, it is known as facet joint syndrome.
Facet arthritis is one of the most common causes of localized mechanical neck or back pain. This means the pain comes from movement of the joints themselves rather than from pressure on a spinal nerve. It usually causes pain that stays in the neck or back rather than traveling down the arms or legs.
Symptoms often develop gradually and may come and go. Pain often improves after changing positions or sitting down.
Facet arthritis usually develops slowly when the cushioning cartilage in your facet joints wears down. This breakdown can make movement painful. The most common reasons for this include:
Several spine conditions can cause neck or back pain but they affect different parts of the spine. While these conditions may occur together, they are not the same.
Facet arthritis affects the small joints that connect the bones in your spine. Degenerative disk disease affects the spinal disks between these bones. Many people have both because these problems often happen as we get older.
Spinal stenosis is when the spaces around the spinal cord or nerves get narrow. This can cause pain, numbness or weakness because the nerves are pressed.
Unlike facet arthritis, the pain from spinal stenosis can spread into the arms and legs, making it hard to walk or stand for a long time. However, facet arthritis can contribute to spinal stenosis if enlarged joints reduce the space available for nerves.
A herniated disk occurs when part of a spinal disk bulges or tears and presses on a nearby nerve. This can cause pain that radiates into an arm or leg, numbness or tingling and muscle weakness.
Sciatica is pain that moves along the sciatic nerve and often causes sharp or burning pain down one leg. It can also cause tingling, numbness and weakness in the leg. Facet arthritis usually does not cause sciatica unless the arthritis leads to pressure on the nerve.
Make an appointment with a Banner spine specialist if you have:
Seek emergency care if you have serious weakness, lose control of your bladder or bowels or feel numbness in your groin.
Your health care provider will ask about your symptoms, medical history and daily activities before performing a physical exam.
During the exam, they may check:
Because many spine problems can cause similar symptoms, your doctor will use exams and imaging tests when needed. These tests may include X-rays, MRI and CT scans.
Sometimes, doctors use special diagnostic injections called facet joint blocks to help find the cause of the problem. A small amount of numbing medicine is injected to see if the joint is causing your symptoms.
Most people improve without surgery. Treatment focuses on reducing pain, improving movement and helping you stay active.
If pain continues, your provider may recommend:
Learn more about pain management.
Surgery may be considered if another spine condition, such as spinal stenosis or instability, is also causing symptoms that haven’t improved with nonsurgical treatment. Your spine specialist will recommend surgery only when it’s the best option for relieving pain and improving function.
Learn more about spine surgery types and treatments.
There is no cure for facet arthritis but many people successfully manage their symptoms. You can help support your spine by:
Banner Health’s spine specialists provide comprehensive care for facet arthritis and other spine conditions. Your care team may include orthopedic spine surgeons, neurosurgeons, pain management specialists, physical therapists and rehabilitation experts. Together, we create a personalized treatment plan designed to reduce pain, improve movement and help you get back to activities you enjoy.
Make an appointment or request a second opinion.
Facet arthritis is osteoarthritis that affects the small joints at the back of the spine. It may cause neck or back pain, stiffness and reduced movement.
It often causes a dull, aching pain close to the spine. Pain may worsen with standing, twisting or arching backward.
No. Facet arthritis affects the joints of the spine. Degenerative disk disease affects the disks between the vertebrae. The two can happen together.
Facet arthritis usually causes more localized pain. If pain, numbness, tingling or weakness travels into an arm or leg, another condition such as a pinched nerve or spinal stenosis may also be present.
Diagnosis may include a medical history, physical exam and imaging. In some cases, a targeted diagnostic injection or medial branch block may help determine whether the facet joint is causing pain.
Yes. Most people start with nonsurgical care such as physical therapy, activity changes, medication or pain management procedures.
A medial branch block is an injection that temporarily blocks pain signals from small nerves connected to the facet joints. It may help identify the source of pain and guide treatment.
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