By Oliver C. Coorey, student of the Master in Applied Neuroscience

Abstract

Low back pain is the highest contributor to disability in the global population, with estimates of over 600 million affected individuals worldwide. Pain originating from the facet joints of the lumbar spine vertebrae are prevalent in this population, with up to 45% of cases being attributed to facetogenic origin. Chronic lumbar facet joint-related pain is a key focus area for current research, as there have been varied results from the different treatment options currently available, with no consensus on the best standard of care. This review examines recent research into treatment options available at present, their effectiveness in managing lumbar facet joint-related pain, as well as provides a comparative analysis between treatment options described here. Key aspects of current methods and study designs were analysed and discussed in relation to future directions in research, particularly regarding diagnostic criteria, standardised methods and outcomes for comparability, and the need for high quality, randomised controlled data to accurately assess efficacy.

Keywords: facet joint pain, facetogenic pain, low back pain, radiofrequency ablation, facet joint injection, endoscopic surgery, regenerative therapy.

Download the full Research Work: Coorey, O. C. (2025). A Review of Current Pain Management Options for Chronic Lumbar Facet Joint-Related Pain. SAERA