Facet joints
Facet joints are small joints found between adjacent vertebrae in the spine, crucial for facilitating spinal movement and stability. They enable bending, twisting, and flexion while preventing excessive motion to avoid injury. Dysfunction or degeneration of facet joints can result in pain and stiffness in the affected area, impacting overall spinal function.
Subscribe to the BlogHow Does the Body Stabilize the C1-C2 Joint? The Role of the Alar Ligament
Readers: Please excuse this in-depth and very dense discussion of the C1-C2 joint. I am preparing a large case series of PICL patients for publication and began writing this as a paper to be submitted for publication, but I decided that some of the rubber meets the road mechanism of the unique way that the…read more
Injecting the C1-C2 Facet Joint Under Ultrasound: A PA with a Scary Big Needle
I’ve been covering non-physician, mid-level providers performing all sorts of procedures for which, IMHO they lack adequate training. Some of these procedures are less risky than others, but this morning we’ll go over a physician’s assistant wielding a very big needle and sticking it into one of the highest-risk areas of the body. Let’s dig…read more
What Is a Proper Diagnostic Block Headache Work-up?
There are so many structures in the neck and head that can cause headaches that it’s almost tough to find them all and put them on a big list. However, after having many patients with chronic headaches come into the office and claim that after a simple Occipital Nerve Block that they have had a…read more
Why the C1-C2 Facet Joint Is Inherently Unstable
Your neck has joints about the size of your finger joints that help to control motion. One of them is pretty unique and is responsible for most of your head rotation. It’s also designed in a unique way that makes it inherently unstable and can cause vicious headaches if injured. Let’s explore the C1-C2 facet…read more
Your Back Problem May Be Destroying Back Muscles
An issue in your spine could be destroying your back muscles. Keeping the back muscles active, even in the presence of aging and a spinal disorder, may keep the back stronger and, therefore, decrease the risk of muscle loss. Our New C0–C1 Facet Injection Paper
This past decade, a big change has occurred in neck facet-joint treatment. The art of injecting something into a facet joint has become slowly extinct, while the procedures to perform nerve ablation of painful neck joints have ramped up. This has caused a real problem as newer regenerative-medicine techniques involving stem cells and platelet rich…read more Let’s Take a Look at a Facet Cyst Treatment
It’s amazing how a pea-sized facet cyst pressing on a nerve can cause a great deal of havoc. Those who have this problem know the symptoms can be disabling, and yet for some patients, it causes no symptoms at all. If it’s the former, surgery has likely been offered, but let’s explore facet cyst treatment…read more Reports of the Death of the C1–C2 Facet Injection Have Been Greatly Exaggerated
In 1897, Mark Twain was on a speaking tour in London when an American newspaper started a rumor that he was gravely ill. This was soon followed by an obituary. When asked by an American reporter in London about his death, Twain quipped, “The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.” I feel the same…read more 