Facet joints are key elements of the spine that allow us to bend, twist and move freely. Furthermore, they serve as bony openings through which nerves from the spinal cord leave and travel throughout our bodies.
People suffering from facet joint issues frequently experience unpredictable back and neck pain that is typically brought on by movement or changing positions. When these symptoms surface, they’re usually brought about by movement or sudden positions changes.
Knee-to-chest
Facet Joint Syndrome can be diagnosed if your back pain comes and goes or increases with specific activities, or becomes worse with certain activities. It typically presents as a dull ache over the spine that intensifies after bending or twisting; flare-ups of this pain are common and serious; but exercise may help treat this type of back discomfort at home; physical therapists recommend stretching exercises such as knee-to-chest and pelvic tilt exercises to increase flexibility, which in turn ease your symptoms and help prevent future attacks. By performing regular practice of these exercises you can effectively alleviate pain as well as prevent future episodes from happening again!
People often develop this condition in their lower (lumbar) spine due to gradual cartilage wear-and-tear on joints; as this happens, bones come into direct contact and cause inflammation and stiffness resulting in inflammation and stiffness that requires medical intervention for diagnosis. X-rays or imaging tests are typically employed to accurately detect this condition.
Many factors increase your risk for Lumbar Facet Arthropathy, such as age, weight and posture. You can lower this risk by maintaining a healthy body weight through regular exercising and limiting high-fat food consumption as well as including regular stretching and strength training into your routine – the Injurymap app offers various workout programs designed to help achieve and maintain this.
The seated knee-to-chest stretch is an easy-to-do exercise designed to increase hip and back mobility and flexibility. The stretch can be modified according to individual needs; making it an excellent way to stretch out muscle groups after gardening or housework or ease back pain after an exhausting workday at the office.
To perform this stretch, lay on the floor with knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Place both hands under one of your thighs, pulling it towards your chest. After holding this position for several seconds, slowly return your leg back to its starting point and repeat this process with both legs.
Bridge posture
Bridge pose is a gentle backbend and heart opener that strengthens core, upper back muscles, buttocks (glutes), and thighs while simultaneously improving posture, alleviating lower back pain, and alleviating kyphosis (an abnormal curvature of the spine). Although Bridge pose can be challenging at times, finding its balance between effort and effortlessness may prove challenging; overdoing it may result in back injury while not pushing hard enough may leave spine and shoulders exposed – it is key to listen to what your body needs in order to arrive at its most comfortable position!
To practice this pose, lie on your back with bent knees and flat feet on the floor at hip-distance apart. Press both palms flat against the floor with press your hands into it with palms flat towards it as you slowly lift your hips off of the floor for three seconds before slowly lowering back down again and repeat this movement vertebra by vertebra.
As you become more adept with this pose, try adapting it by placing a block between your knees – this makes opening the spine simpler while strengthening inner thigh muscles simultaneously.
One variation of this pose that can help engage the gluteus maximus and build strong foundations for back muscles is to bring your legs together in front of you while in the pose, to strengthen the gluteus maximus muscles while engaging other support structures for the spine in other poses. This modification presents an interesting challenge to advanced yoga practitioners as well as strengthening core support muscles that support it further.
If your facet joints are painful or you are unfamiliar with how to approach yoga exercises, it is recommended that you consult an experienced instructor who can tailor a routine specifically to your individual needs and abilities. Depending on the severity of your condition, additional exercises that strengthen muscles around joints may provide stability and support, including low-impact aerobic activities like walking, swimming or Tai chi; strength training exercises which focus on arms, legs and buttocks could also prove helpful.
Cat/cow stretches
The cat/cow stretch (Marjaryasana-Bitilasana in Sanskrit) is an easy and effective exercise designed to promote spinal mobility, flexibility and good posture while strengthening muscles in your upper back and neck. It makes an excellent warm-up exercise before more intensive stretching exercises such as bird dog pose; simply perform it either on a floor mat or chair slowly with controlled movements.
Put yourself on your back, with knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Make sure your hips, shoulders and wrists are in line and perpendicular to the floor. Slowly inhale as you raise your spine straight up (like a cow) then exhale as you arch forward like a wary cat for an exaggerated position of flexion that extends all the way into your neck area.
Exercise for those who spend most of their time sitting and have stiff spines. This movement stretches the spine as well as its muscles – hips, back, abdomen and chest muscles in particular – improving curves in thoracic spine.
However, if you are suffering from back pain it is wise to proceed carefully as repeated bending and stretching motions could put unnecessary strain on the facet joints and cause any discomfort. If any discomfort arises discontinue this exercise and try something different instead
Switching back and forth between extreme flexion and extension can cause undue strain on spinal joints, potentially leading to further damage. Furthermore, such movements reinforce bad postural patterns that tend to form during daily life – leading to an unnatural hunch in the lower back and forward slouching in the upper back.
If you are new to yoga, it is advisable to begin by performing several rounds of cat/cow exercises to protect against injury and release tension from your body. Doing these exercises before bed can also help relieve tension while performing it first thing in the morning can help wake you up and prepare you for your day ahead!
Pelvic tilt
Some factors, like age and genetics, make you more prone to facet arthritis than others, but there are steps you can take to help avoid or reduce back pain and improve posture. Regular exercises including stretching and strengthening exercises may slow degeneration in facet joints while lessening discomfort; one such effective pelvic tilt exercise entails lying back with legs bent, feet flat on floor, tightening abdominal muscles to tilt your pelvis forward into push your tailbone into the floor – strengthening muscles of lower back, core and stretching out hip flexors and buttock muscles simultaneously.
Although changes to your daily routine may help correct some postural deficiencies, muscular imbalances in your core are usually to blame for back pain. Poor posture caused by these imbalances puts undue strain on both spine and back muscles – pelvic tilt is an excellent exercise that can reduce this excessive spinal stress.
Basic pelvic tilts involve lying on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground about shoulder width apart, feet flat on the ground. Your therapist will instruct you to tighten ab muscles so as to move your pelvis forward and press your tailbone into the floor, before lying back down slowly back into its original starting position.
Exercise at home or the gym. However, before beginning on this exercise by yourself it’s wise to consult a physical therapist on which exercises would best fit you and your condition – they will assess you and provide safe yet effective exercises to manage back pain.
Muscular degeneration is usually the source of back pain; however, many also experience facet arthritis due to poor posture or prolonged sitting and standing. Luckily, symptoms of facet arthritis are treatable through stretching and strengthening exercises – often on their own without medication – while physiotherapists can teach proper posture exercises such as pelvic tilt exercises to alleviate your backache and prevent future episodes from returning.
