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Back pain, neck pain and headaches — all of these can be caused by the same thing. Your daily headache can actually be from facet joint syndrome, also referred to as arthritis, especially if you have several symptoms. But before you start worrying, just know that there are several paths for diagnosis and treatment for spinal arthritis, especially when you put yourself in the hands of the best sports medicine and pain management doctor in Midtown Manhattan.
Arthritis is a leading cause of disability in the United States. While no arthritis is “good” arthritis, spinal arthritis can be extremely painful and detrimental to your quality of life. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of spinal arthritis because it involves the wearing down of the cartilage between your joints.
This deterioration of the facet joint most often follows when your joint cartilage begins to break down. This condition can occur from either constant stress on the joint or damage to it directly. Spinal arthritis treatment is a necessity when you begin experiencing pain from continuous wear and tear. And age has less to do with it than you think.
While age certainly can be a factor — and it often is — spinal arthritis can also come from repetitive improper movements or even from poor posture. So even though you may love to practice racquetball in the afternoons, poor form leads to more harm than good.
There are many reasons you can have pain in your back, radiating from your neck to your legs. More than likely, though, you’re looking at facet joint syndrome, also known as spinal arthritis. Before you can even consider any spinal arthritis treatment, you need a diagnosis. To reach an accurate diagnosis, know you have to undergo an evaluation by your NYC doctor. Some common causes of facet joint syndrome or spinal arthritis include:
These symptoms resemble the symptoms of a herniated disc. This wearing down of your spine can lead to the bones in the joints rubbing against each other. If left untreated, it can cause bone spurs and other sources of pain.
When you come in for a consultation, your New York City physician asks you a series of questions that includes a history of your discomfort. Explain when it first started and how acute it feels. Your physician then questions you about your symptoms. Do you experience:
Some symptoms are very similar to other lumbar-related issues, such as sciatica and spinal stenosis. But if you consistently notice these symptoms, seek medical help and don’t work out how to treat spinal arthritis yourself.
Treatment for spinal arthritis starts with a proper diagnosis from your New York City. Your doctor may order x-rays, an MRI or a CT scan. These imaging technologies give your doctor a look at the joints and other parts of your spine.
Fortunately, a combination of these treatments usually reduces your pain to a more manageable level. And while many of these facet joint syndrome treatments help ease pain, they do little to help truly severe arthritis. To relieve your pain and give your body a chance to heal on its own, you may be given injections.
If the injections don’t reduce your pain, you and your NYC physician may agree that surgery is the best course of action. There are two types of surgical options: traditional open spine surgery and minimally invasive decompression surgery. If needed, always opt for less invasive surgery options.
Febin Melepura, MD is a top rated, best in class interventional pain management doctor. He is a nationally recognized pain relief specialist and is among the top pain care doctors in New York City and the country. He is an award winning expert and contributor to a prominent media outlets.
Dr. Febin Melepura has been recognized for his thoughtful, thorough, modern approach to treating chronic pain and, among other accolades, has been named a “top pain management doctor in New York”, and one of “America’s Top Doctors™” for an advanced sports injury treatments.
