Facet Arthritis
 

Faucet Arthritis,
I have faucit arthritis and was looking for people that have it to.

Man I am crazy to I spelled fascit wrong...

Do you want me to fix your title spelling?
It is no problem for me.. And it may
Bring in others doing Google searches to
This thread ;)

Yes please, thank you im glad you are able to fix it.

Hello Renee,

I too have facet joint arthritis. I have had for twenty years. Just recently my neck has deterioted and they found my facet joints are what is causing my pain.

I take Neurontin for my nerve pain, Ultram for the moderate to severe pain in my neck and back, and I recently have been having muscle spasms and spasticity in my leg. So my neuro gave me Baclofen a muscle relaxer for my spasticity.

I know the pain you are going through. We are here for you!

Praying you find relief :hug:

Thank you, and im sorry to hear about your trouble. I am new to all of this. So I not sure about what's all out there that can help. Maybe talking to you and others that are going through it I can make wise choices concerning my health care.

Facet Joint Arthritis
 

Hi Renee,

We are all different in finding what works for us. So, this is what has worked for me. :)

With the help of my PCP, because she was and still is, my first line of defense. She has referred me to physical therapy and having an MRI. It gave us the picture she needed to help me see what was really wrong.

I have tried conventional treatment first. NSAID's (aleve) which, alone, had worked good for a while. Then I got relief by stretching and doing yoga, this helps even now to keep me somewhat loose, ice packs and warm compresses (Thermacare) helps in a pinch.

Since my original dx back in 1999, My osteoarthritis in my spine now has progressed.

My cervical spine, thoracic and lumbar spine has now degenerated even more. Guess with time (30 yrs), aging (54) and the fact that I had worked for 28 years doing very physical labor that included loading and unloading tractor trailers and the repetitive motions had increased my pain and discomfort. So much so, that I have had to take steroids, off and on, to ease the severe pain.

I have long since retired from that profession and I am still in pain from the facet joints.

They say that the Facet Arthropathy (fancy word for arthritis) contributes to, my now, bilateral foraminal stenosis. It is moderate to severe on the left and right side of the spine. The nerves are now being compressed and causing me extreme pain.

Now, I am back into physical therapy, another MRI to see if any damage has progressed to the point where I might need surgery.

Just to let you know, that, I am a high tolerance pain person. I can put up with alot of pain before I head to the PCP for help. She gets mad at me at times for not coming in earlier.

For me, my chiropractor is invaluable. He helps me in ways that my PCP and drugs can not. He does not do the twisting and cracking of my spine like others like to do. Needless to say, I am very protective now of my spine and the pain I might endure :rolleyes: He is able to keep my spine aligned to help it heal itself. (your spine is like a hose with water, step on the hose, the water cant flow properly, same with your spine. can not have interference to have a healthy spine)

Renee, you need to find out what works for you! What can give you relief and what does not. And who has your back when you need them most.

My PCP, chiropractor, physical therapist, orthopedist and neurologist all help me in my care. The only specialist have not tried is a Rheumatologist. My PCP said they might be able to help in my care.

I also have my faith in God. He is the great physician and healer. He has helped me when no one else could. I prayed for good doctors and he has given me them ten fold.

So that is me and what works for me in a nut shell (sorry so long).

Praying you find the relief and help you need to keep you pain free.

The people on here are invaluable too. We are all in this together and to be there for each other.

Let us know how you are doing. Keep in touch and here is your group hug from us :grouphug:

God Bless you Renee!:Heart:

Thank you all for your reply. Hearing from others lets me know that I am not alone. Im sorry that you also have pain. Maybe we can be there for each other and help others deal with and find help. I really did not know what all is available. But this has given me some new ideas. Thanks and hope to hear from you again soon.

Renee,

I came upon a site online that helps explain alot of the anatomy of the spine that includes the facet joints.

Hope this helps as it has me, I found it just about an hour ago.

www.Mayfieldclinic.com

Good luck and God Bless:hug:

Renee,

I replied to your post asking same in another thread:

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread44301-3.html

I don't know of any solutions that haven't already been mentioned. Though the arthritis in my spine is severe (precluding surgery) it's only a nuisance compared to other pain issues. Tonight my knees are bothering me more than my back, but a myofascial spasm in my neck trumps both.

Doc