Degenerative Facet Joints Can Be Treated With Numerous Methods Including Laser Surgery

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Degenerative Facet Joints Can Be Treated With Numerous Methods Including Laser Surgery

Degenerative facet joints cause a condition sometimes called facet disease, facet syndrome, or facet arthritis. Marked by pain in the lower back or neck that’s made worse by twisting, this condition can limit mobility and often worsens with time. The pain occurs because the cartilage has deteriorated on the facet joints and exposed bone is rubbing against exposed bone. This creates irritation and swollen tissue which presses on nerves.

Fortunately, there are a number of ways degenerative facet joints and their associated pain can be treated, including:

Anti-inflammatory medications
Traction
Physical therapy
Bed rest
Exercises and stretching

When those treatments don’t work and the pain is bad enough to reduce your quality of life, your doctor may suggest surgery. If surgery is your next step, you may want to consider facet thermal ablation at Laser Spine Institute. During this minimally invasive procedure, a surgeon uses a laser that is fed to the site through a small tube to gently clean the affected joints and deaden nearby nerves. This relieves pressure and reduces pain. And unlike traditional open-back surgery, thermal ablation at LSI has a short recovery time—about two weeks—and is capable of providing immediate pain relief for some patients. Additionally, because the surgery is conducted through a tube inserted through a narrow incision—a technique known as endoscopy—it reduces the risk of infection, and requires no general anesthesia or hospitalization.

If you’d like more information on treating your degenerative facet joints with thermal ablation at LSI, contact us today. We’ll review your MRI or CT scan today to determine if we can help ease your pain.

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