Experience dull, achy low back pain that’s worse when standing for long periods of time?
Lumbar Facet Syndrome is a condition that involves inflammation and/or degeneration of the facet joints of the lumbar spine. Lumbar Facet Syndrome is caused by chronic hyperlordotic posture, such as wearing high heels, pregnancy, sleeping on your stomach, or simply standing with anterior pelvic tilt and excess arch in the low back. These joints experience the greatest amount of load when standing and when leaning backwards into extension, therefore these positions are aggravating and painful with Facet Syndrome. The facet joints are how each individual vertebra in the spine connect to each other to allow movement. They are also innervated by the same nerve branches that supply the muscles of the low back. Therefore, when the adhesions form within the joint capsule the inflammation of the joints also causes irritation to the nerves. This causes hypertonicity and spasms of the muscles of the low back, increasing the dull, achy pain and stiffness.
How can Chiropractic help?
When the facets become irritated and inflamed from intra-articular adhesions within the joint capsule, the joints become locked up and no longer move as individuals, but rather as a big block. Chiropractic adjustments to the lumbar spine break up the adhesions and restore proper motion in the joints, therefore reducing irritation, inflammation, and muscle hypertonicity.