The Most Commonly Overlooked Source of Back Pain

Mention back pain and most think of a pulled muscle or herniated disc. However, there’s a third – yet frequently overlooked – common source of back pain, involving your facet joints.

Facet joints connect your vertebrae together. They provide the smooth slippery surface between joints allowing you to bend and twist. And they limit your range of motion just enough to prevent accidental injury of your spinal cord. But when they hurt, it can seriously impact your ability to move normally.

Facet joint syndrome, also called spinal osteoarthritis, in so common that lumbar facet joints are implicated in nearly a third of chronic lower back pain cases and cervical facet joints in nearly half of all chronic neck pain cases when no herniated disc is present.

A painful cervical facet joint can immobilize your neck, cause an ache in your shoulder, or even force you to turn your whole body just to look left or right. Pain from a lumbar facet joint may leave you unable to stand up straight, hunched over while you walk, and suffering a deep ache from your buttocks to the back of your thighs.

But before you blame your facet joints for your back or neck pain, let’s first remember a syndrome is not the same thing as a cause. Even our family’s children’s dictionary accurately describes a syndrome as “a group of signs or symptoms that together indicate a particular disease or condition.”

Doctors often use a facet joint block (an injection of anesthetic into the facet joint) to isolate the source of pain. Then they’ll turn around and use it to “treat” the pain, too. Isn’t that a little like saying your flat tire has low air pressure, so just roll it around the corner and we’ll pump some more air into it? Excuse me,but let’s pull the nail out and patch the hole first, guys!

Again, facet joint pain is merely a symptom of a problem. While we want to end the pain, the only way to prevent its return is to find and correct the underlying cause. Since the root problem varies from one individual to the next, no one single treatment works for everyone. It will take some effort on your part to resolve the problem. But isn’t freedom from the cycle of pain, doctor visits and repeated facet joint injections worth it?

If you’re ready to end the cycle of pain, here’s what I recommend with specific product suggestions to help you get relief quickly:

Short-term pain relief

(while you find and correct the root problem)

Heat therapy – A heating pad may help, but it won’t give you the deep penetrating heat that can really relieve the ache. I highly recommend using a far infrared heating pad which can send penetrating heat two to three inches beneath your skin’s surface for effective pain relief. This is truly the most effective pain relief tool I’ve used in 20 years.

CMO-based pain relief cream – While many off- the shelf creams may help, the rare fatty acid cetyl myristoleate is the only pain relief cream ingredient I’ve ever seen with a 100% success rate in relieving arthritic joint pain. Rub On Relief® includes CMO and nine more powerful natural pain relievers.

Natural anti-inflammatories – As facet joint syndrome is a form of osteoarthritis, inflammation always plays a role. Consider using natural anti- inflammatories as a safer alternative to dangerous NSAIDs. Heal-n-Soothe® is the most powerful proteolytic enzyme and natural herbal anti-inflammatory supplement I know of – and much safer than either OTC or prescription drugs.

Long-term natural therapy solutions

Muscle Balance therapy – Restoring your body to a neutral, balanced and stable state is critical for your long-term pain relief. That’s what muscle balance therapy helps you accomplish.

Inversion therapy – Inversion therapy helps your body reseat misaligned facet joints by relieving pressure and allowing the joints to simply “slip” back into the correct position.

Trigger Point therapy – Trigger points are a factor in virtually every painful condition. Eliminating your trigger points should be a priority for lasting pain relief.

Watch your diet – Avoid inflammatory foods – typically any foods which are processed, high fat, high sugar, or include refined grains are inflammatory. Be sure to take a good multi-vitamin and drink ample water on a daily basis, too.

Emotional troubleshooting – When all else fails, evaluate your emotional life. Sometimes stress and emotions keep otherwise helpful treatments from working. This may just be the final step you need for relief from your facet joint syndrome related pain.