10/09/2025
All right, so what is facet joint syndrome? Good question.
Each vertebral level in your spine has six joints:
👉 Two in the front (on the vertebral body)
👉 Four in the back (posterior elements) — two above, two below
The facet joints are those posterior joints, and when they get irritated or inflamed, that’s what we call facet joint syndrome.
Now, here’s the thing: inflammation can come from different tissues.
⚡ Sometimes it’s the ligaments holding bone to bone.
⚡ Sometimes it’s the tendons or muscles that move those joints.
⚡ And sometimes, it’s the bone itself — which, if it goes on long enough, can develop into arthritis.
So the big question is: why is it inflamed?
Is it repetitive stress or posture?
Is it weakness in the tissues that can’t keep up?
Is it an arthritic change building up over time?
What do we do about it?
👉 Rest, to let inflammation calm down
👉 Adjustments to restore motion and take tension off
👉 Exercises to gradually strengthen the supporting tissues
👉 Sometimes imaging (x-ray or MRI) to assess the extent of the damage
And don’t forget — Wolff’s Law applies here too. The more force the bone sees, the more bone it lays down. In the joints, that means arthritis. That’s why posture, movement, and proper support matter so much.
Trusted by patients across Washington County, MD and beyond
Learn more about Dr. Patrick Walsh here: https://www.wwcofhagerstown.com/about