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The Hidden Cause of Neck Pain and Lower Back Pain

July 31st, 2009

by Stephen Akamine

The Complex Causes of Neck Pain and Lower Back Pain. The 2 most common forms of pain in the human anatomy are Neck Pain and Lower Back Pain, although the cause of either can be complex at times due to so many different causes. There is however, a root cause or secondary cause of Neck Pain or Lower Back Pain that is frequently overlooked, very difficult to diagnose, and oftentimes labeled as a secret or hidden cause. Neck Pain or Lower Back Pains hidden cause or secret source is known as Facet Joint Pain or Facet Syndrome. Facet Syndrome, or simply Facet Joint Pain is directly related to pain in the facet joints, and is a chronic pain syndrome, which is a collection of Chronic Neck Pain symptoms or Chronic Lower Back Pain Symptoms.

What is Articulation of a Facet Joint? Facet Joints are posterior Spinal Joints that connect an adjacent upper and lower vertebrae together. The medical name Zygapophyseal Joint for a Facet Joint is complex in itself and difficult to pronounce. The Facet Joint moves in a manner that is medically known as Articulation within defined ranges of motion. Facet Joint articulation includes bending forward, which is known as flexion, bending backward, which is known as extension, and twisting to either the left or to the right, which for the Neck is known as Cervical rotation, and for the Lower Back, which is known as Thoracolumbar rotation. Flexion stretches and unloads the Facet Joint, while extension compresses or loads the Facet Joint. Facet Joints also limit range of motion in the spine, which helps to prevent excessive range of motion that can cause damage to spinal discs.

What is a Synovial Joint? Facet joints are Synovial Joints- the most common joint in the human body. A Synovial Joint is characterized by having a joint capsule, joint capsule fluid-synovial fluid to lubricate the inside of the joint, and cartilage on the outside of the joint between the upper and lower adjacent surfaces of each vertebra to allow a smooth gliding movement.

What could cause Facet Arthritis or Facet Arthropathy? Facet Arthropathy or Facet Arthropathy is a Chronic Pain condition that can be caused by wear and tear, degeneration of the cartilage surfaces, joint capsule. Facet Arthritis or Facet Arthropathy represents a form of facet joint inflammation and is one of the syndromes of Facet Joint Pain.

How is Joint Movement affected? When the articulation of the Facet Joint is in some way restricted, then Facet Joint Pain is often the result. When the joint becomes stuck or fixated in the open or closed position or in the partially open or partially closed position, then Facet Joint Pain is often the result. Either the muscles surrounding the joint could be the source of the problem, or the dysfunction of the joint itself could be the problem. The muscles surrounding the joint could become hypertonic-extremely tight causing compression and loading and restricted articulation resulting in pain, or the joint could have a problem binding, or becoming stuck open or closed, resulting in Facet Joint Pain, which in turn causes a problem with the muscles surrounding the joint.

What else can cause Facet Joint Pain? Some causes of Facet joint pain are: Abnormal spinal curvature, Hyperlordosis-excessive arch in the lower back, Scoliosis-Lateral Lumbar spinal curvature, Injury or Trauma, Incorrect Neck Posture or incorrect Lower Back Posture or Forward Pelvic Rotation.

What are some common Symptoms of Facet Syndrome for the Lower Back? The initial onset of pain might be related to a rotational spinal injury or a spinal injury involving hyperextension of the spine. Lower back facet joint pain symptoms include increased pain upon side bending or twisting or arching the lower back or torso, lower back pain or tenderness, deep dull aching pain that moves to the buttocks or the back of the thighs, and/or stiffness or difficulty with certain movements, such as standing up straight or getting up out of a chair.

What are the Neck-Cervical Facet Syndrome Symptoms? Facet Join pain neck symptoms include Neck Pain, Headaches, Shoulder Pain, and/or difficulty side bending or rotating the head. Ensure that the Facet Joint Pain Assessment clearly indicates the pain scale for the associated problems. Find out if there is a history of whiplash or any other kind of neck injury.

Is Facet Joint Articulation restricted? Articulation is the single most important question that needs to be answered, and if we conduct a special test known as the spring test which can test for basic joint movement, we can maybe hope to have some kind of answer.

What Exercises will help to relieve my Facet Joint Pain? If excessive lower back curvature " Lumbar Lordosis, and hypertonic hip flexors and hypertonic lower back musculature is causing compression of the lumbar facet joints, stretching and strengthening exercises to reduce joint compression and help prevent joint fixation will be required to reverse the postural distortion that has occurred. If the cervical (neck) spine is affected by excessive forward head posture and hypertonic neck musculature, there are strengthening and stretching exercises for postural correction and hypertonicity reduction as well. As mentioned above, the experienced Clinical Massage Therapist will be able to formulate an effective exercise treatment plan.

About the Author:

Stephen Akamine focuses his efforts on the treatment of Myofascial Pain and is highly regarded as one of the top Licensed Medical Massage Therapists in the State of Hawaii. You can find Facet Joint Pain information and information about soft tissue treatment for pain at his online resource center.

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The Risks: Rollerblading Injuries

July 19th, 2009

Acquiring rollerblading injury from a sport is highly likely because, for one, the body consistently receives force and pressure, which at times, can be in greater amount than the body can normally handle. There are also times when the environmental condition to which an athlete is exposed presents potential dangers that are out of his control. Other times, his behavior and judgment abilities are overridden by compulsive actions.

The same is true for rollerbladers. Researches show that as rollerblading becomes highly popular, the more injuries are recorded. In several countries, particularly the United States, Australia, and Canada, injury cases grow in an alarming pace.

While rollerblading injuries are likely to be more apparent among children and adolescents, statistics reveals that older individuals are as equally predisposed to injuries. In fact, the Consumer Product Safety Commission recorded injuries among people aged 65 years and above. Additionally, a previous study reported that injuries among male skaters are more usual than female skaters. There is no concrete reason for this, although researchers account it to the fact that there are more male skaters than female.

Dislocation, fractures, strains, and sprains are the most common injuries among skaters. Twenty-five percent of injuries occur in the wrist area, with the wrist fracture as the most commonly reported case. The wrist is highly vulnerable as it receives much of the force during a fall, especially when skaters fall with outstretched arms. Other areas frequently injured are elbows, knees, and head, although head injuries are quite rare, constituting only 5% of the reported cases. However, head injuries appear to be life-threatening and can cause long-term consequences both physically and financially. Deaths are not common. In a study, 31 of the 36 cases of death are caused by collision with vehicles.

Rollerblading injuries are said to cause by inability to stop, loss of balance, uncontrollable speed, performing tricks, and obstacles and surface irregularities. However, any injury from such events can be prevented if the skater wears the recommended protective gears: wrist guards, helmet, elbow pads, and knee pads. The fact that protective gears can save a skater from potential dangers shouldn’t be overlooked. A study revealed that those who wear protective gears are less likely to acquire injuries as opposed to those who don’t.

Moreover, most of the injured skaters didn’t have proper and formal training. This, therefore, emphasizes the importance of taking lessons from a certified skating instructor. Nothing can substitute the benefit of learning from an expert who teaches skating techniques that include proper braking and falling, balancing skills, and road regulations.