Facet joint pain · Olathe, Kansas
Nonsurgical Treatment for Facet Joint Pain
Back pain that is worse standing and better sitting may be coming from the joints, not the disc.
Facet joint pain is common and often treated as something else. The evaluation identifies the source and tells you whether nonsurgical treatment is appropriate.
- For back or neck pain that is worse standing, leaning back or twisting
- Nonsurgical, seated treatment that unloads the joints
- Candidacy answered at the first visit
- Refunded in full if you are not a candidate
- 25 years in practice
- 65,000+ treatment visits supervised
- 5.0 on Google · 60 reviews
Sound familiar?
Does this sound like your facet joint pain?
Standing at a counter, walking on hard floors and sleeping on your stomach aggravate facet pain. Getting up from a chair takes a moment. Many people have been treated for a disc problem without much change because the pain was coming from the joints beside it.
- Standing at a counter or walking on hard floors hurts
- Sitting or bending forward eases it
- A deep ache into the buttock or thigh, rarely below the knee
- Stiff in the morning, better once you are moving
- You have been treated for a disc without much change
Common symptoms of facet joint pain
- Low back or neck pain that is worse standing, leaning back or twisting
- Pain that eases when you sit or bend forward
- A deep ache that spreads into the buttock or thigh, or from the neck into the shoulder
- Stiffness first thing in the morning that eases with movement
- Tenderness to pressure beside the spine
If two or more of these are true, an evaluation is the logical next step. It is the only way to know what is contributing to your symptoms and whether nonsurgical treatment is appropriate.
What facet joint pain is
What facet joint pain is, and why it keeps coming back
Each vertebra connects to the one below at the disc in front and at a pair of facet joints behind. The facets are true joints with cartilage and a capsule, and like a knee or a hip they can become inflamed and arthritic. They take more load when the disc thins, when you stand and lean back, and when you rotate. Facet pain is typically a local, deep ache that spreads into the buttock or thigh but rarely below the knee.
Between each pair of vertebrae sits a disc. When it's healthy, it's tall and full of fluid, and it holds open the space where a nerve leaves your spine.
Years of sitting, lifting and gravity compress it. It loses water and height, that space narrows, and the nerve gets crowded. That's what sends pain, numbness and tingling down a leg or an arm.
It doesn't fix itself, because discs have no blood supply. They depend on pressure changing as you move — and a compressed disc isn't getting that.
How we treat it
Our treatment gently separates the vertebrae, taking pressure off the disc and giving the nerve room. Repeated over a course of care, that's what gives symptoms a chance to settle.
Facet Joint Pain treatment options
Most of the usual approaches manage the symptom. Fewer address the load on the disc.
None of these are wrong, and some of them may be part of your care. The question the evaluation answers is whether something is still loading the disc or the nerve — and whether that is something we can change.
Nonsurgical treatment options for facet joint pain
- Movement and posture changes that reduce extension and rotation load
- Physical therapy for hip and trunk strength
- Medication, or facet injections and other procedures, prescribed by a physician
- Our nonsurgical treatment when loss of disc height is loading the facets
- Referral for further evaluation when the pattern does not fit
| Usual approach | What it does |
|---|---|
| Rest and ice | Reduces inflammation for a while. Does not change what is loading the disc. |
| Pain medication | Blocks the pain signal. Useful; does not address the source. |
| Injections | Reduces inflammation around the nerve, often temporarily. |
| Physical therapy | Strengthens the muscles that support the spine — valuable, and sometimes not enough on its own when a disc is the driver. |
| Surgery | Removes or fuses tissue. Sometimes necessary. A large step to take before nonsurgical options have been properly evaluated. |
Our approach
Evaluate first. Then treat, measure and adjust.
We focus on nonsurgical treatment for appropriate spine, disc and nerve conditions. Treatment begins with an evaluation so we can determine whether our approach is appropriate for your condition.
- 01
Evaluate
Determine what may be contributing to your symptoms.
- 02
Treat
Begin appropriate nonsurgical treatment if you are a candidate.
- 03
Measure
Track your response to treatment.
- 04
Adjust
Modify the approach based on how you respond.
Why evaluation matters for facet joint pain
Facet pain, disc pain and sacroiliac pain overlap in where they are felt, but they behave differently under load and respond to different treatment. The evaluation uses specific movements and examination findings to identify the source, and reads the imaging with those findings in mind rather than the other way around.
How we evaluate facet joint pain
We examine which movements and positions reproduce your pain, palpate the joints, examine the nerves to rule out a root problem, and compare the findings with your imaging. If loss of disc height is driving the facet load and your pain pattern fits, we explain what we would treat and how we would measure it. If not, we say so.
When additional medical evaluation is necessary. Back or neck pain with fever, unexplained weight loss, a history of cancer, or pain that is worst at night should be evaluated by a physician first. Any new weakness, numbness in the groin, or bowel or bladder change needs same-day care.
What a treatment visit is like
Nonsurgical — no injections, no incisions. You are seated and reclined, not face-down and not in a harness. Treatment can be directed at the low back or the neck, the settings are set for you, and a visit is short. Whether it is appropriate for you is decided at the evaluation.
Honest about who it's for
It is not for everyone, and no one can promise you an outcome before examining you. For the right patient it takes the load off a painful disc without surgery, and we measure your response rather than assume it. The evaluation is how we find out whether you are that patient.
The first step
Start with an evaluation.
Evaluation + 3 treatment visits
$149
We evaluate your condition, determine whether you are an appropriate candidate, and begin treatment if appropriate. No package. No long-term commitment.
Schedule Your EvaluationIf we determine you are not a candidate, you are refunded in full.
What's included
- A one-on-one consultation about your symptoms, history and what you have already tried
- A focused spine and nerve examination
- Review of any imaging you already have (MRI, CT or X-ray)
- A clear answer on whether our nonsurgical approach is appropriate for you
- Three treatment visits, if you are a candidate
- A written summary of what we found and what we recommend
Plan on about 45 minutes for the first visit. Treatment visits after that are short.
What you'll learn
What you walk out knowing
1What is actually contributing to your symptoms
Not a guess from a report — findings from an examination read alongside your imaging.
2Whether you are a candidate
A straight answer at the first visit. If you are not, you are refunded and pointed to the right care.
3How your body responds to treatment
If you are a candidate, you begin treatment at the first visit and we record your response.
4What we recommend, and why
In writing, after three treatment visits, with no obligation.
Patient reviews
From patients who came in with the same thing.
Every review is a verified Google review of this clinic, quoted as written.
“No more dragging by the end of a work day … The sessions were quick enough to fit around my job, and now I get through a full shift without feeling sore or wrecked by the time I'm home.”
Kyle R.Verified Google review
“Standing for long stretches used to wear on my lower back, not anymore. … Big change from where I started.”
Roman P.Verified Google review
“Sciatica had me shifting around constantly, especially sitting for any length of time. … the leg pain's way down and I can actually sit through a meeting or a movie without needing to move.”
Aaron B.Verified Google review
FAQ
Questions about facet joint pain
What happens during my first visit?
How much does the initial visit cost?
How does the treatment work?
Do I need an MRI?
Can I bring my MRI?
Do you accept insurance?
How long does treatment take?
Evaluation + 3 treatment visits · $149
Schedule a facet joint pain evaluation
Tell us how to reach you and we'll call to find a time. Prefer to talk now? Call (913) 355-5998 or text us.
- Mon – Wed9:00 AM – 5:30 PM
- Thu9:00 AM – 12:30 PM
- Fri – SunClosed
If we determine you are not a candidate, you are refunded in full.
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Find out whether we can help with your facet joint pain.
Axis Spine & Disc · 1011 E 151st St, Suite A, Olathe, KS