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Facet Disease Causes
Facet disease causes vary from person to person, but the end result is the same: nerve irritation and back pain. In most cases, the pain is caused by a breakdown or thinning of the cartilage on the facet joint. This can occur naturally with age, but it’s also exacerbated by overuse or a traumatic incident. For others, facet disease occurs because of spondylolithesis. That’s when one vertebra slips out of place and moves forward into another vertebra, pressing on nerves in the process. Fortunately, there are treatment options for both of these facet disease causes.
If spondylolithesis is causing your pain, you doctor will probably ask you to refrain from certain activities to allow the body to heal. Physical therapy, anti-inflammatory drugs, and/or braces may also be used in treatment. If your facet disease is caused by deteriorating cartilage, your doctor will likely recommend a short period of bed rest, traction, anti-inflammatory medications, and/or physical therapy. In both cases, surgical intervention may be used if those methods of treatment are unsuccessful. One of the surgical options if deteriorating cartilage causes your facet disease is thermal ablation at Laser Spine Institute. This is a safe and effective technique that reduces pain by cleaning away damaged tissue in the facet joint while also deadening nerves that transmit pain signals from the site.
If you’d like to learn more about using thermal ablation to treat your facet condition, contact Laser Spine Institute today. We’ll determine whether or not our unique process can help you.