Physiotherapists in Nuneaton treat many different conditions including the issues profiled below.

Lumbar Facet Joint Syndrome

The lumbar spine is a very complex structure made up of a large number of different anatomical structures, many of which can be sources of pain in different situations. One structure which is known to contribute to low back pain is the facet joint, the small synovial joint placed at each side of each disc level. The facet joints are made up of one facet from the vertebra above and one from the vertebra below, with a joint capsule lined with synovial membrane. The joint capsule is well supplied with nerve endings which could transmit pain. In normal backs the facet joints serve to control the movements permitted at the particular part of the spine in which they lie, but do not take large amounts of weight.

With degeneration of the discs the facet joints are pushed together more strongly and forced to take larger amounts of weight, leading to degenerative changes developing within them and then the transmission of pain. The facets are forced to take more weight than they are designed for. Patients with this syndrome particularly dislike extension of the spine which forces the facet joints together and elicits pain. Mobilisations and regular exercises can be helpful from a physio.

Degeneration of Intervertebral Discs

The terms degeneration and ageing when applied to intervertebral discs are not exactly the same thing, as degeneration implies damaging changes in disc structure while ageing changes may be incidental. However, degeneration is a lot more common in older rather than younger discs. Degeneration does involve things which ageing does not, such as larger structural changes in the annulus in the endplates. This structural change starts to occur in a person.s twenties and reaches its maximum in middle age. Because disc degeneration occurs more commonly in men and in the lower lumbar spine it is assumed to be related to mechanical stresses.

Changes which occur in the discs are tears in the annular fibres of various patterns, buckling of the inner annular fibres inwards towards the disc centre, greater bulging of the outer disc walls, loss of disc height, defects in the endplates which can include these bulging up into the vertebral body. Blood vessels and nerves can grow inwards along the annular tears as they are no longer opposed by the internal disc pressure. Degeneration may disrupt the disc.s ability to distribute the compression stresses evenly, leading to high levels of stress being applied to areas which are not designed to cope with this.