Facet Joint Arthritis
Restore pain-free movement and stability. Get back to active living with our specialised, evidence-based management plans designed for long-term spinal health.
Understanding Lower Back Facet Joint Arthritis
Facet joint arthritis in the lower back is a degenerative condition where the cartilage between the small stabilising joints of the spine degrades, causing inflammation, stiffness, and localised pain. Symptoms typically include localised lower back pain, stiffness upon waking or after inactivity, and pain that is distinctly aggravated by twisting or arching the back backwards. The condition causes reduced spinal mobility, involuntary muscle guarding, and a restricted ability to perform lifting, twisting, or prolonged standing without discomfort.
Prevalence in the pain-free population
Research shows that lumbar osteoarthritis and facet joint changes are incredibly common in adults without any back pain, affecting over 50% of 50-year-olds and well over 80% of 80-year-olds. Finding joint wear on a scan is a normal part of aging—much like "wrinkles on the inside"—meaning these structural changes do not dictate your future, and with targeted rehabilitation, you absolutely do not have to live with chronic pain.
Managing a chronic, degenerative spinal condition requires a highly coordinated, multidisciplinary approach rather than a quick fix. Our internal team works seamlessly together to reduce your acute pain, build your long-term capacity, and support your overall health.
Your Physiotherapist applies targeted manual therapies to restore joint mobility, corrects biomechanical movement patterns, and guides early movement strategies to safely decompress the arthritic joints.
Our Exercise Physiologists prescribe low-impact cardiovascular conditioning and targeted core-stabilisation exercises that correct movement biomechanics and decrease mechanical pressure on the painful joints.
Our Dietitians teach you how to adopt an eating pattern that reduces systemic inflammation and assists with sustainable weight management, which directly reduces the daily mechanical load placed on your spine.
Zone 34 moves beyond temporary relief to address the mechanical drivers of your spinal arthritis, building a foundation of strength that supports your joints.
The majority of our Exercise Physiologists and Physiotherapists run our bespoke small group Strong Bodies classes, bringing extensive experience in safely guiding individuals from an acute pain flare back to a strong, resilient, and highly capable body.
Our gym environment allows us to transition you from sensitive, guarded movement to confident, strong spinal loading in a safe, controlled setting.
Our physiotherapists and exercise physiologists collaborate to ensure your treatment plan integrates seamlessly with your specific physical goals and lifestyle demands.
We employ a systematic, phased approach that prioritises spinal health while progressively building the muscular support your joints inherently need.
We utilise targeted manual therapy to reduce joint irritation, implement strict load management, and introduce gentle, pain-free mobility work to settle the acute flare-up.
We introduce progressive resistance training to strengthen the deep muscles supporting your facet joints, actively improving your postural control and spinal stability.
The final stage involves high-level conditioning to integrate spinal resilience into your daily activity or daily work demands, equipped with specific strategies to mitigate re-aggravation.
Who treats this?
Our experienced team members are ready to help. See their bios below and book online when ready.
.avif)
.avif)
.avif)
.avif)
All major health funds accepted
Private health claiming via Tyro Health EFTPOS terminal
FAQ
Facet joint pain is often worse with arching backward, twisting, or prolonged standing. Whereas disc issues often feel worse with bending forward. A clinical assessment at Zone 34 provides a clear rehabilitation plan.
Yes. In fact, structured loading is one of the most effective ways to support the spine, provided the movements are phased correctly to avoid acute irritation.
According to RACGP guidelines, routine imaging is generally not required for lower back pain unless there are neurological red flags. A thorough clinical assessment is usually sufficient to diagnose facet joint arthritis and begin a conservative rehabilitation plan.
While conservative physiotherapy is the highly recommended first-line treatment, we collaborate with sports doctors for complex, severe cases that might benefit from corticosteroid injections to provide short term pain relief by reducing joint inflammation.
Our Clinical Dietitians teach you how to adopt an anti-inflammatory eating pattern to reduce systemic inflammation. They also assist with sustainable weight management, which directly reduces the daily mechanical load placed on your arthritic spinal joints.