This is a discussion on Facet inflammation within the Spine-Related Conditions & Conservative Spine Treatment forums, part of the General Spine Discussion Forums category; Has anyone had experience with facet arthritis, as in inflammation of the facet joints? My bone scan diagnosed mild inflammation ...
Facet inflammation Has anyone had experience with facet arthritis, as in inflammation of the facet joints?
My bone scan diagnosed mild inflammation in 3 levels of facets, and I am wondering how strong a pain generator that could be. My understanding is the only way to fully diagnoses this is to have facet injections and see how much relief you get. However I would have thought 'mild' inflammation would bring significant but 'mild' arthritis type pain that comes and goes with use, not disabling pain.
Does anyone have any insights?
Re: Facet inflammation My MRI showed moderate facet degeneration, which I had thought would rule out ADR for me. However, my surgeon felt it was only mild. I was also told that since facet injections never gave me any relief, that they were not my pain generator. I also had 2 positive discograms for L4/5. I do think arthritis pain can be debilitating, just depending on how bad you have it. My grandfather had it so bad, that by his mid 50's he was wheelchair bound. It was like his body was 'frozen' from the arthritis.
31 years old-
1/06- In wreck with 18 wheeler at 25 years old; 6/06- Head on collision on Interstate, both wrecks other drivers fault. Numerous MRI's, PT, chiropractic, acupuncture, TENS therapy, massage therapy, facet injections, epidural injections, Nerve study, Discogram, confirms pain in L4/5, IDET, decompression, Bi-lateral neurotomy L3/4/5, denied by insurance twice, in Active L clinical trial, had surgery March 17, 2009 in Miami, FL- received Active L disc at 29 years old. Pain and medication free as of October 2010!
Mommy to Emma- 8 years, Ava- 5.5 years & had baby Eli after ADR, via c-section on March 25, 2011, completely pain free still!
Re: Facet inflammation I don't mean to imply that severe arthritis isn't severely debilitating and painful, just that I wouldn't have thought a mild arthritic inflammation could knock you sideways.
Re: Facet inflammation Mild, moderate, severe.......I'm not sure it really matters.......because pain is so subjective and individual. One person could be diagnosed with a mild condition and have debilitating pain, and another with a severe arthritic diagnosis may be rocking along just fine.
• January 2000 MVA passenger, used jaws of life to retrieve me, neck injury and months of PT
• June 2001 Bicycle accident, 2 compression fractures at T12/L1, Vertebroplasty Sept. 2001
• April 2006 right hip, labral tear and repair
• April 2007 3 level ProDisc @ L3/4, L4/5 & L5/6✷ ✷Lumbosacral transitional vertebra; Dr. Rudolph Bertagnoli
• July 2, 2008 ALIF & Laminectomy @ L6/S1
• July 30, 2008 re-opened 28 days later to remove bone cement that had leaked onto S1 nerve root
• August 2008 Pulmonary embolism, double pneumonia, collapsed left lung, re-hospitalized 1 week
• March 10, 2009 Right SI Joint Fusion
• April 27, 2010 2nd right hip arthroscopy to remove adhesions and release psoas muscle
• September 30, 2010 lumbar facet rhizotomy
• December 9, 2010 12 bilateral lumbar trigger point and steroid injections
• December 23, 2010 12 more bilateral trigger point injections w/o steroid
• February 15, 2011 ESI bilaterally in lower lumbar...relief only for few days. Considering 1 more.
Did Spinal Cord Stimulator trial from 5/11/11-5/17/11 with excellent results; Spinal Cord Stimulator surgery is Monday,
July 18, 2011
Re: Facet inflammation Yeah I spose it's a bit pointless to guess at it.
Re: Facet inflammation It's all relative, I was told for 3 years that there was "nothing in my MRI that should be painful" only to find out I had DDD, a grade 4 tear, facet arthritis and such. But then again, like CL said, there are some who on imaging look like they should be curled in a ball crying from pain who are just fine and others who there is 'nothing' to indicate pain and they are in loads of pain. This is where it is extremely frustrating that there are so many variables in spine pain/treatment. It would be a lot easier if it was black or white and no gray areas.Originally Posted by Hooch
31 years old-
1/06- In wreck with 18 wheeler at 25 years old; 6/06- Head on collision on Interstate, both wrecks other drivers fault. Numerous MRI's, PT, chiropractic, acupuncture, TENS therapy, massage therapy, facet injections, epidural injections, Nerve study, Discogram, confirms pain in L4/5, IDET, decompression, Bi-lateral neurotomy L3/4/5, denied by insurance twice, in Active L clinical trial, had surgery March 17, 2009 in Miami, FL- received Active L disc at 29 years old. Pain and medication free as of October 2010!
Mommy to Emma- 8 years, Ava- 5.5 years & had baby Eli after ADR, via c-section on March 25, 2011
Re: Facet inflammation Amen to that Kathy....black and white, and no gray. If only....
• January 2000 MVA passenger, used jaws of life to retrieve me, neck injury and months of PT
• June 2001 Bicycle accident, 2 compression fractures at T12/L1, Vertebroplasty Sept. 2001
• April 2006 right hip, labral tear and repair
• April 2007 3 level ProDisc @ L3/4, L4/5 & L5/6✷ ✷Lumbosacral transitional vertebra; Dr. Rudolph Bertagnoli
• July 2, 2008 ALIF & Laminectomy @ L6/S1
• July 30, 2008 re-opened 28 days later to remove bone cement that had leaked onto S1 nerve root
• August 2008 Pulmonary embolism, double pneumonia, collapsed left lung, re-hospitalized 1 week
• March 10, 2009 Right SI Joint Fusion
• April 27, 2010 2nd right hip arthroscopy to remove adhesions and release psoas muscle
• September 30, 2010 lumbar facet rhizotomy
• December 9, 2010 12 bilateral lumbar trigger point and steroid injections
• December 23, 2010 12 more bilateral trigger point injections w/o steroid
• February 15, 2011 ESI bilaterally in lower lumbar...relief only for few days. Considering 1 more.
Did Spinal Cord Stimulator trial from 5/11/11-5/17/11 with excellent results; Spinal Cord Stimulator surgery is Monday,
July 18, 2011
Re: cet inflammatioFan Im looking for more info on pain relief from this also...
C4-5: Mild disc height loss with central annular fissure. Small broad-based left paracentral disc protrusion. Moderate central canal stenosis-the disc protrusion abuts and mildly flattens the left ventral surface of the spinal canal.
C5-6: Disc desiccation with mild height loss.Diffuse discosteophyte bulge and
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