Symptoms of Facet Joint Arthritis

The lumbar facet joints connect the individual bones that make up a spine. As a mechanical hinge of the body, a facet joint is subject to the same threat of arthritis as any other joint in the body. Facet joint arthritis produces acute symptoms that can de differentiated from nerve damage.

Identification

• The facet joints are bone configurations that connect the vertebrae, or skeletal regions of the spine, to form a single functioning spinal column. Two facet joints, located at the back of the spine, link each pair of vertebrae. Like any other joint in the body, the facet joint allows movement. It's covered with a special cartilage known as articular cartilage. Facet joint arthritis affects the articular cartilage and bones of the facet joints.

Acute Symptoms

• Many of the initial symptoms of facet joint arthritis are acute, and may only occur a few times a year. In the beginning stages of facet joint arthritis, the person affected typically feels discomfort when bending backwards rather than when bending forwards. The person may also notice a lack of flexibility in the spinal muscles through a condition known as "guarding."

Differentiation from Nerve Damage

• Pain associated with facet joint arthritis normally radiates down the spine and through the buttocks to the back of the leg. Rarely does the pain occur in the front of the leg, and rarely does it travel to or past the knee. This allows a doctor to differentiate facet joint arthritis from a potential herniated disc or other problem involving the spinal cord. Conditions that involve damaged or pinched nerves normally radiate pain past the knee and down to the ankle.

Joint Pain

• Physicians classify the pain associated with facet joint arthritis as joint pain, which is mechanical pain. It doesn't include the numbness or tingling sensations associated with nerve disorders because the affliction is in the mechanical joint of the spine. Many people with facet joint arthritis notice aches and pains more often after they sleep, rest or simply lie on their backs for extended periods of time.

Nerve Pain

• Although facet joint arthritis has no nerve symptoms, the presence of facet joint arthritis may cause some nerve damage. Arthritis is known to excite the cells responsible for the creation of bone material. Therefore, people suffering from facet joint arthritis may experience nerve symptoms as well, because bone spurs created by the arthritis put pressure on the nerves in and around the spinal column. This means that in addition to the mechanical pain associated with facet joint arthritis, patients may also experience symptoms of nerve pressure such as numbness and sharp pain radiating down the leg.