Patients who have been diagnosed with a facet condition, whether it is arthritis of the spine or another degenerative joint disease, often wonder if facet syndrome surgery is in their future. While some degenerative joint conditions cannot be treated, certain measures can be taken to manage the symptoms, including facet syndrome surgery. However, not everyone requires surgery to find pain relief.

For many patients, a series of conservative treatments is an effective way to manage the pain of facet disease and avoid facet syndrome surgery. As you and your doctor discuss your treatment options and progress toward pain relief, you should keep in mind these three indications that may be signs you need facet syndrome surgery:

1. You are having difficulty moving. As your facet joints continue to degenerate and become inflamed, the damaged section of your spine can stiffen. Typically, conservative treatments can help combat these symptoms and restore your normal range of motion. Therefore, if you notice your spine is particularly stiff and your symptoms are not responding to conservative treatment, it may be an indication you need facet syndrome surgery.
2. You experience a chronic ache throughout the day. If you are constantly sore or stiff, despite following your doctor-recommended conservative treatment, you may need facet syndrome surgery. This could be an indication that your condition is worsening and surgery is your next option to help with pain relief.
3. You are unable to complete your daily activities. If you find your once-simple daily tasks becoming almost impossible due to an aching stiffness in your spine, you may need facet syndrome surgery to help restore your quality of life.

If your doctor recommends you for facet syndrome surgery, contact USA Spine Care to learn about our minimally invasive facet thermal ablation procedure. Performed in conjunction with a minimally invasive decompression as the primary procedure to help treat the arthritis, this procedure is used to relieve painful nerves in the facet joint, utilizing a laser.

Because our facet syndrome surgery is minimally invasive, our patients can benefit from a shorter recovery time^{^}and lower risk of complication compared to patients who opt for traditional open neck or back surgery. To find out if you are a candidate for our procedures, contact us today and request a no-cost review of your MRI or CT scan.*

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