What is a Facet Joint Injury?

Facet joints are critical to maintaining spinal stability. These small joints connect the vertebrae to each other and allow for seamless bending or twisting of the back. These tiny joints hook the vertebrae to one another and are lined with cartilage to ensure pain free movement.

Any traumatic accident could damage the facet joints in your back or neck. Some accident victims will be laid up in bed as they try to manage pain and wait for their bodies to heal. Contact Rosenbaum Law Group to discuss your medical diagnosis, as well as whether you can receive compensation for the accident.

How Accidents Injure the Facet Joints

Any traumatic accident could possibly injure the joints, including falls and motor vehicle collisions. The joints can be damaged through direct, traumatic impacts, such as falling down the stairs and striking your spine on each step. But they can also be injured by jarring movements, such as violent twisting during a rollover accident.

There are different injuries people can suffer:

• The bone could break due to traumatic impact. In this situation, there is a risk the vertebrae become misaligned and could compress the spinal cord or nerve roots.
• Cartilage damage. Trauma can damage cartilage, which leads to pain whenever you move your back or neck. Damaged cartilage can degrade further and result in chronic pain.
• Joint locking in place. Damaged joints might lock in place, making movement incredibly painful.
• The joint can become inflamed when damaged. Inflammation leads to pain and stiffness.

The most common symptom is pain whenever a person bends or twists their back, or when they stand. The pain may even radiate into the shoulders or down your arms. Headaches are also common when you suffer a facet joint injury in the neck.

For diagnosis, your doctor will probably order a medical imaging test to see the bones. Treatment will depend on the severity of the injury. Many patients only need rest and pain blockers to help their body to heal, but they could be unable to work for several months.

Economic damages usually include the cost of medical treatment, including physical therapy, pain management, or anti-inflammatory injections. In extreme cases an accident victim will need surgery. Other damages relate to lost income, property damage, and pain and suffering.

We Recover Compensation for Injured Victims

If you suffered a facet joint injury, contact Rosenbaum Law Group, PC. We have helped those hurt in bicycle accidents, car wrecks, and truck collisions. Our firm is focused on determining who is at fault for your accident, including a property owner who failed to fix a hazard. Call our law firm to speak with a Portland back injury lawyer today. We offer a free consultation where you can explain your accident in greater detail. We can then provide a preliminary estimate of the strength of your claim, as well as how much time you have left to file it. Reach out by phone or submit your contact information online.

Source:

verywellhealth.com/facet-joint-disorders-7971158