Facet Joints in the Neck Cause Pain

There are many structures in the neck that when injured in a car accident or stressed can cause pain in the neck, head or shoulders.  Commonly, clinicians look to the muscle/ligament and intervertebral disc as sources.  One often overlooked source of acute and chronic pain is the facet joint or zygapophysial joint.  Cooper et al (2007) published a paper on the facet joint referral patterns and included detailed maps.  Interestingly enough, head pain over the parietal, upper temporal regions and will end in the forehead or behind the orbit.  There are many presentations of pain in the neck and head, when evaluating patients Cooper et al recommend thinking about the facet joints as a source of pain. Faucet joint pain often starts after a motor vehicle accident a sports injury, or sleeping wrong.  Chiropractic care is used to decrease the pain from facet joint pain and correct poor joint motion.  A proper diagnosis and treatment plan by a trained Chiropractor is imperative. 

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Dr. Sean Billings

473-0399

107 N Union Blvd

Colorado Springs, CO 80909