Facet Joint Syndrome
Facet Joint Syndrome Treatment in Newport Beach
The facet joints are the connections in between the bones of the spine. The nerve roots pass through these to go from the spinal cord to the other parts of the body. These joints also allow the spine to bend and twist, and they keep the back from slipping too far forward or twisting without limits. Like the knee joint, they have cartilage to allow smooth movement where two bones meet.
Facet joint syndrome occurs when the joints become inflamed due to injury, trauma, aging or arthritis.
Symptoms may include the following:
- Inability to twist the body
- Hunched gait
- Pain and numbness
- Muscle Weakness
These symptoms will affect different parts of your body depending on where the nerves are affected.
To diagnose facet joint syndrome, your Newport Beach orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. Todd Peters will perform a complete and thorough physical examination as well as a medical history check. He may also request X-Rays, MRIs, and CT scans to better assess your case.
X-Rays – A type of quick imaging process using electromagnectic waves to better show Dr. Peters bones of the body to pinpoint possible sources of pain.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) – This type of imaging uses radiology to show Dr. Peters the soft tissues of the body like muscles, disks, nerves, and the spinal cord.
Computerized tomography (CT) – CT scans are X-ray scans taken from various angles to create a cross-section of bones and soft tissues of the body.
If non-surgical treatments do not result in a positive way, Dr. Peters may recommend surgery to address the problem.
Dr. Todd Peters specializes in minimally invasive orthopaedic surgery to treat Facet Joint Syndrome. For appointments, please call (949) 383-4182 or Contact Us.
