What is a Facet Joint?

by Admin on July 6, 2011


Everyone has them, but most people don’t know what they are called. But every time we move, our Facet Joints come into play. The proper name of a facet joint is a Zygapophysial Joint, but most people refer to them just as Facet Joints.

What is a Zygapophysial Joint?



Facet Joint and Spinal Column What is a Facet Joint?

The Facet Joint and it's Position in the Spinal Column

Each facet joint is made up of a capsule of synovial fluid that is sandwiched between the anterior processes of the two vertebrae. A process is an extended portion of bone. In this case, the joint occurs where the superior articular process of the bottom vertebrae interacts with the inferior articular process of next vertebrae of the spinal column.

In those terms, it sounds like a Zygapophysial Joint is pretty complicated. You can see from the image however that it is not. The synovial capsule in the facet joint acts as a cushion between the corresponding processes (extensions of bone). Cartilage lines the joint to allow the bones to move smoothly against one another.

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The Human Vertebrae

What Does a Facet Joint Do?

The Facet Joints help to provide stabilization to the spinal column as well as guiding movement. They are crucial for the control of forward and backward bending (flexion). The joints also provide a degree of limitation to the rotation of the spine. In the lumbar region of the spine, which is the lower section, the facet joints provide stability and keep the back experiencing too much medial flexion. The joints however do not have a large factor in the control of lateral flexion (side to side bending). In the cervical region of the spinal column, which is the upper section, the facet joints help to control flexion, but they also facilitate the rotation of the neck.

As I mentioned before, most people don’t even know that they have a Zygapophysial Joint. It’s not until people begin to experience back pain that they even learn of the Facet Joint. Facet Joint Syndrome and Arthritis of the Facet Joints are the two major problems people experience with their facet joints.


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If you’ve lived with facet joint arthritis, you know that it is one of the most disturbing conditions that one can endure. Due to the all encompassing nature of the spine in almost every action that a person does, facet joint arthritis impinges on people all the time. There are a variety of mainstream medical treatments available to help with the management of facet joint arthritis. But one should also consider alternative treatments for facet joint arthritis. When it comes to finding relief of such a painful issue, all options should be considered whether they are traditional or alternative in nature.

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Pain and Discomfort From Facet Joint Arthritis


Rheumatoid arthritis is a complex chronic disorder and wants to be evaluated effectively just before any prescription is created. Arthritis in the facet joints should be analyzed by a medical professional. But it’s worth discussing alternative treatments such as homeopathic medicine with your healthcare providers. Homeopathy considers arthritis as a constitutional issue and treats it accordingly. Homeopathy can prove to be a great boon for all those suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. Since Homeopathic therapy is based upon cautious analysis of the symptoms of the patients, it is a method of medicine that understands and treats the patient’s individualized disease characteristics deeply sufficient to ensure the total elimination of the disease from the root. The activated dilutions of Homeopathic medicines stimulate the body’s own restorative program to eradicate the disease. When rightly prescribed, they are extremely secure. Choosing the correct homeopathic remedies demands total assessment of the body on numerous levels – mental, physical as well as information (i.e. the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis). While it is not quite evident exactly how homeopathy works in rheumatoid arthritis, however, it is believed that homeopathy control the immune system and deactivates the malfunctioning immune system cells. In addition they aid in reducing the inflammation process inside the joints. A cure for deformity with homeopathy remains to be under argument and nothing conclusive can be mentioned about it.


Of course not everyone agrees about the efficacy of homeopathic treatment plans. Old fashioned medical science has generally looked down upon the homeopathic treatments, however with time, traditional medicine has started to consider homeopathic treatments in the holistic therapy for the affected person. I personally believe that multiple forms of alternative medicine such as homeopathy, acupuncture, diet, yoga and holistic therapies should be considered. Some traditional medical practitioners may dismiss homeopathy as a placebo effect, but if some people respond to the therapies and experience relief from the pain of facet joint arthritis, I believe that has to be given some weight in the course of their treatment.
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Can Homeopathy Help Relieve Facet Joint Arthritis Pain?


It has been discovered, homeopathy also has positive aspects in those circumstances when a patient is already taking allopathic pain relievers for rheumatoid arthritis such as ibuprofen. It can little by little minimize the dependence on pain relievers and then make a person feel the need of consuming painkillers exclusively in a time of extreme need. After frequent and standard homeopathic treatment, reliance upon NSAID’s could totally vanish. Scope of homeopathic treatment in rheumatoid arthritis is very favorable. But the patient needs to recognize that the homeopathic method is aiming to clear out the illness from the body and not attempting merely to suppress or give temporary relief. Thus it could take a even though just before one experiences relief. The time necessary for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis is dependent on a variety of elements like the chronicity of the disease, genetic propensity and the extent of harm.


Specifically in the early stages, cases of Rheumatoid Arthritis can respond nicely to the homeopathic treatment. The medicines can decrease the frequency, duration and severity of the attacks and can delay the onset of complications. In advanced stages where deformities of the joints have occurred, Homeopathy can assist to ease the discomfort. By means of Homeopathic treatment, the disease progress can be slowed down, important reduction in joint stiffness and pain can be achieved and further complications of the disease can be prevented. Overall the scope of treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with Homeopathy is excellent and it is definitely suggested in all cases of arthritis. Homeopathy may benefit persons struggling from facet joint arthritis of which is connected to rheumatoid arthritis.




Melody Lewis not only writes about alternative treatments for facet joint arthritis, but she also covers other types of arthritis on her blog. Learn about Arthritis in Fingers at http://arthritisinfingers.info

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