Spinal Arthritis/Facet Pain

Your spine is made up of many vertebrae. There is a small stabilizing joint on each side of the vertebrae, called the Facet Joint. These limit the range of motion of the spine when moving, twisting, and bending, allowing it not to overextend in any direction. During daily movements, the joints slide on each other. Each joint also has a small amount of cartilage which provides lubrication as the joints move. As the facet joints become worn, the nerves become inflamed and can provide a significant amount of pain.