Our Chiropractors Discuss Treatment and Diagnosis of Facet Syndrome

This week’s discussion deals with facet syndrome. Facet syndrome is one of the most common causes of pain originating from the spine. In order to understand facet syndrome we must first start by defining what facet syndrome is by looking at the anatomy of a typical spinal vertebrae.

The facets are on the posterior section of the vertebral body and are made up of two articulating surfaces the inferior articular process and the superior articular process. The facet joint is formed when the superior portion of a lower vertebral body meets the inferior portion of the vertebral body above it.  The facet joint is further held together a capsule of ligaments forming a joint commonly known as the zygapophyseal joint (z-joint). When these joints are jammed together from either injury, inflammation, or degeneration we get the facet syndrome. Causes of this jamming could lead from trauma, excessive weight, decreased disc height, and an increased lumbar curvature. Degenerative changes and bad posture caused by muscle imbalance is the leading reason why people develop facet syndrome.

 Signs and Symptoms of Facet Syndrome

Common symptoms of facet syndrome is neck pain and low back pain that hurts more during rest, extension, or is relieved with motion. The neck pain will be aggravated by extension, rotation and repetitive movements. Low back pain is aggravated by extension, rotation, prolonged sitting and repetitive movements. Most patients describe facet pain as sharp and in a well-defined area, normally feels superficial and one sided.

People also report that they have diffuse morning stiffness. As we can see the signs and symptoms of facet syndrome is every similar to those of a herniated disc. This is why it’s so important to get the proper diagnosis so you can receive the proper treatment for you problem.

Treatment Goals for Facet Syndrome

At Mountain View Pain Center our chiropractors have a number of treatment options to help with your problem. We offer myofacial release therapy, physical therapy, decompression therapy, massage, and chiropractic therapy. Our treatment goals are to promote soft tissue healing; we do this by removing scar tissue and promote healing with micro current. Restore normal strength and stability to joint structure. Most importantly we want to make sure you get out of pain as quick as possible so you can return to normal daily function without pain. If you have questions or concerns about your condition please feel free to call and one of our doctors will be more than happy to answer any question you might have. We have two locations one in Centennial CO and Aurora CO, please feel free to contact us. If you would like more information please read our about us page.

Sacroilliac joint pain and dysfunction

One of the most common causes of low back pain is dysfunction of the Sacroilliac joint (also knows as the SI joint). The sacroilliac joint is one of the largest joints in the body, and is an articulation of the sacrum and the iliac bone (a portion of the pelvis). This bone can become restricted in several ways such as acute trauma, repetitive motion, pregnancy, or poor posture.

When this joint becomes restricted it causes inflammation in the joint, which can cause a very sharp pain directly over the area. Due to the muscle attachments in the area, inflammation in the joint may also cause low back pain, hip pain, or even radiating pain in the leg.  Any condition or injury to the leg that causes an altered stride can also affect the joint. For example an ankle injury can cause someone to alter the weight they put on that leg. This can cause more pressure on the opposite SI joint, rotation of the pelvis, or a functionally short leg. If the joint has suffered chronic restriction and inflammation this area can degenerate rapidly causing chronic low back pain that can cause an altered gate pattern or limp.

Treatment of Sacroilliac Joint Pain

At Mountain View Pain Center we can resolve this area quickly combining our chiropractic and physical therapy treatments. Our doctors will determine what has caused this dysfunction and develop a treatment plan that best suits you for quick and effective results. With our state of the art equipment we can remove the inflammation from the joint as well as decrease pain. This will allow the doctor to remove scar tissue and adhesions from the joint as well as restore full range of motion to the area. If you think you may be suffering from an sacroilliac joint dysfuntion, call us to get evaluated by one of the Chiropractors at Mountain View Pain Center.

Concussion Test

Centennial Chiropractors Do Concussion Screeings For Athletes

Centennial Chiropractors | Concussion screening is a new and effective way to aid in the early and more accurate detect of concussions. At Mountain View Pain Center we are now offering a pre and post-concussion screenings for 50% off for all student athletes. The pre concussion screening with our state of the art technology the Biodex Concussion Management program, allows us to take a baseline level of each individual athlete.

Biodex Concussion Screening

This baseline gives us a map of the athlete’s sensory system. Research has shown that there is strong evidence demonstrating the impact of balance deficits of functional performance and increased risk of reinjury. In the case an athlete needs to return after an injury, the Biodex will give us a read out demonstrating their new scores versus their old, which gives your doctor a more accurate diagnosis of a concussion and gives us a timeline of when it is safe for your child to return. With two offices Centennial and Aurora we have a testing center close to you. Please feel free to contact us.

Chiropractic Care Question’s and Answers

At Mountain View Pain Center we get asked a lot of questions about Chiropractic care and today we are going to answer some of them.

Can a Chiropractor help me?

Chiropractors specialize in musculoskeletal issues ranging from low back pain, neck pain, ankle pain, wrist pain, and many other ailments affecting any of the joints in the body or related to the spine. To put it as simply as possible Chiropractors deal with muscles, nerves, and bones.  This means that Chiropractors have a vast knowledge of the whole body and can help you with your pain, posture, range of motion, or overall function of the body.

What is the spinal manipulation/adjustment and why would I need one?

Chiropractors use spinal manipulations to remove fixations in the spine and to free the nerve that could be impinged by the bone.  This impingement can cause a number of problems such as pain, swelling, numbness, tingling, and radiating pain.  This means that when you’re having ankle pain for example the Chiropractor will look at your ankle, knee and low back to make sure there is no fixations in any of the joints.

Is Chiropractic safe and is it going to hurt?

This is one the most popular questions we get asked. Yes, Chiropractic is safe there have been a number of research papers done on Chiropractic, its effectiveness and safety of receiving chiropractic treatment.  One of the most recent research article done was in the Spine Journal which stated that Chiropractic spinal manipulation is a safe and effective way to receive alternative treatment for musculoskeletal conditions. Spinal manipulations if perform by a licensed professional do not hurt they actually feel great!!!!

I heard that once you go to a Chiropractor you always have to go why?

This is not true.  Chiropractors want to help you get out and stay out of pain.  In the beginning of your treatment you may come in more often so your body can begin to heal faster. Once the initial pain levels have gone down your frequency of visits will decrease as you continue to progress through treatment. The next step is to start a course of physical therapy to help correct any muscular imbalances attributing to your condition, with either increase muscle strength or breaking a spasm.  The Chiropractor may recommend wellness care for you because the daily stresses in our lives, such as our jobs can lead to further discomfort from poor posture or repetitive activities.

What’s the cost of coming in?

This is the second most common question asked.  Cost can vary from person to person and may also vary from insurance company to insurance company. You may have no deductible or co-pay in some cases, or you may have no coverage at all. The best way to know how much your treatment is going to cost is to call our front desk and have them call in your insurance. If you have no insurance you could take advantage of our new patient special. Currently we are offering a new patient exam, consultation and 1 hour massage for only $49.00.

If you have more questions you can look at our FAQ portion of our website.

Our goal at Mountain View Pain Center is to help you get out and stay out of pain.  Our office is located in Centennial, CO which is conventionally located to Highlands Ranch CO, Littleton CO, Denver CO. If you have any questions please feel free to call us and someone will be more than happy to help you.

Centennial Chiropractors Answer FAQs: Auto Injuries

Centennial Chiropractors of Mountain View Pain Center Answer FAQ’s related to Auto Accident Injuries.

Who will pay for my medical bills?

In the State of Colorado, treatment for all injuries suffered in an auto accident is paid for by your “med-pay”, and unless you specifically wave this coverage on your insurance policy, you automatically have a minimum coverage of $5,000, meaning in most cases you will have no out of pocket costs. If your medical costs exceed $5,000, depending on your policy, you still may be completely covered. Also, if you have a lawyer that you’re working with, we can work with you on a lien basis. This means we will wait for your case to settle to get paid. Read more >>