Cervical Facet Syndrome: How It Causes Neck Pain & How To Manage The Pain
Nearly 65% of patients with neck pain have Cervical Facet Syndrome.
Cervical Facet Syndrome is annoying at best, and can be disabling at worst. Luckily, it can be managed. It’s not a life sentence.
Today, we’re talking about what cervical facet syndrome is and how to manage the pain to get back to doing the things you love.
What Is Cervical Facet Syndrome?
The one-sentence version: Cervical Facet Syndrome occurs when the facet joints in the neck get inflamed and irritated.
First of all, you might be wondering: What are facet joints? Facet joints are small joints in the back of your neck that guide the motion of the vertebrae, limiting how much the vertebrae can slide around on each other while also promoting rotation and side-bending motions. These joints also happen to be the target of spinal chiropractic adjustments, the joints that get stuck when you are in need of an adjustment. They’re highly innervated, meaning that when something goes wrong, they can create pain in and around the joint, and they can also cause pain to radiate to other places. In the neck, an irritated facet joint can trigger pain in your head, neck, and shoulders.
Because of where these joints are located, they get squished together when you extend your neck to look up at the ceiling. The facets can handle this in moderate doses, but if they’re extended for a long time or get extended too quickly or too hard, then damage can occur to the ligaments, cartilage, and other structures around the joint. This is where pain and other symptoms can start.
Most patients develop Cervical Facet Syndrome as a result of long-term postural issues, particularly slouching. When you slouch, your neck extends to keep you facing forward; if your neck didn’t extend, you’d be looking down at the ground. This slouched posture can put a lot of strain on your neck, eventually causing pain and Cervical Facet Syndrome.
Other patients start to see symptoms of Cervical Facet Syndrome after an injury, like a car accident or a concussion, both of which can jam the facets together too hard and too fast, causing damage that way.
Symptoms of Cervical Facet Syndrome can vary from patient to patient, but typically they include:
Dull and aching neck pain
Pain is worse when looking up or looking up and back
Headaches
Limited range of motion in the neck, moving your whole body to look around
Stiffness that is worse in the morning or with extended inactivity
How Do I Manage Cervical Facet Syndrome?
Managing Cervical Facet Syndrome involves a few different factors. Most patient’s primary goal is to reduce their pain and get back to their life, which is a great place to start. That said, we also need to address the cause of the problem, if one exists, through lifestyle modifications and targeted exercises, so that the pain doesn’t return after your treatments. We can break this down into three main areas: (1) lifestyle modifications, (2) targeted exercises, and (3) chiropractic care.
1) Lifestyle Modifications
Lifestyle modifications work to manage the cause of your neck pain & Cervical Facet Syndrome. Without managing the cause, the pain can come back again and again. Your facets need time to heal, and what you do in your daily life can irritate them over and over, never giving them that chance to repair and recover.
There are a number of lifestyle factors to consider, including:
Posture Correction & Movement - If you’re sitting with poor posture most of the day, problems will often arise. The big focus with Cervical Facet Syndrome and postural correction is to ensure that your head is in line with your shoulders, not jutting forward. The best way to manage this is to move more! If you’re in a certain position for less than 5-10 minutes at a time, you’re less likely to develop issues.
Workstation Set-Up - If you’re someone working in an office or from home, your workstation is something that must be addressed. Is your monitor at the right height for you, so you can look straight ahead at it? Is your chair set up so that you can use your keyboard and mouse while keeping your elbows at a 90 degree angle? There are multiple things to consider when setting up a workstation, but monitor height and chair set up are two of the biggest and least considered factors.
Physical Activity - Like we discussed with posture, moving more is essential to reducing your risk of postural issues and conditions. The more your move, the happier your body will be.
Sleep - Your body needs sleep in order to heal, so getting enough sleep is important. How you sleep is also important to consider. Stomach sleeping typically requires your neck to be turned and twisted, which can exacerbate issues in the facet. Additionally, sleeping on your back or side with a pillow that has too much or too little height and support can exacerbate these issues as well.
2) Targeted Exercises
These targeted exercises are specific to your and your body, addressing weak muscles and stretching tight ones. The overall goal is to help your body offload your facet joints and reteach normal movement patterns, while also reducing pain and tension.
Each patient has different needs, but there is often some overlap. Here are a few exercises that commonly help with Cervical Facet Syndrome:
Chin Tucks - Standing or sitting up straight, draw your head backwards so it lines up with your shoulders. This often feels like you’re making a double chin. Hold this position for 5-10 seconds, then relax. Repeat for 5 repetitions, 2-3 times per day.
Bruegger’s Relief Position - Sit or stand up straight and tuck your chin/head back (imagine lining your ears up with the middle of your shoulders). Bring your arms up over head and slowly draw them down and back, opening up your chest and bringing your shoulder blades together. Feeling a good stretch through your chest and shoulders, hold this position while breathing deeply into your abdomen for 15-30 seconds (or longer). Repeat 2-3 times per day, or once an hour while sitting.
Neck Stretches - Start by bringing your left ear to your left shoulder, then putting your left hand on the right side of your head. Push gently into your hand and hold for 10-15 seconds, moving deeper into the stretch when/if you can. Turn your head/nose to your left shoulder/armpit (like you’re going to a smell it), then push again into your hand and hold for another 10-15 seconds. Do this again on the right side. Repeat this pattern on both sides 2-3 times per day, or as needed to manage neck tension.
Neck Rotations - Start by looking straight ahead, then slowly turn your head to one side and stretch it as far as you can, without causing pain. Hold the stretch for 15-20 seconds (pick something to stare at to help keep you in position). Slowly return to look straight ahead, then do it again on the other side. Repeat this 2-3 times per day.
Click here for a video version of some of these exercises, particularly focused on office/desk workers and those who slouch!
3) Chiropractic Care
Chiropractic care is used to ensure that the joints in your neck are moving how they should, while also addressing tight muscles in your neck and shoulders. During your visits, we also help you find the best and most effective lifestyle changes and exercises for you and your life.
Chiropractic adjustments to the neck can reduce neck pain, improve mobility, and improve function and control of the neck muscles, all things that are necessary to manage cervical facet syndrome.
Soft tissue mobilization, including manual therapy and trigger point work, can help loosen tight muscles, further reducing pain and increasing mobility.
Assisted stretching covers some of the stretches above, but allows us to help you get an optimal stretch, while also including some resistance that will strengthen the muscles while helping them relax.
Kinesiotaping isn’t usually needed for Cervical Facet Syndrome, but sometimes it’s helpful to remind the muscles in your neck, shoulders, and upper back to contract and keep some pressure off the facet joints.
Parting Thoughts
Cervical Facet Syndrome is incredibly common, affecting nearly 65% of people with neck pain, but it’s also not often directly addressed.
At Northbound, we work with you to create an individualized treatment plan for you, your life, and your problems. In addition to guiding you to the right lifestyle modifications and exercises, we also treat your Cervical Facet Syndrome & neck pain using chiropractic care and a whole-person view of your health and your goals.
And remember: Your neck pain can be managed. It doesn’t have to be something you suffer with for the rest of your life. There are answers out there!
Click the button below to learn more about scheduling your first visit, or contact us by phone or text at 763-373-9710.
Wishing you the best,
Dr. Nicholas Carlson
Northbound Chiropractic
Serving Delano, MN, Maple Plain, and the rest of Wright and West Hennepin Counties