Zygapophysial joints (facet joints)

Zygapophysial joints, commonly known as facet joints, are paired joints located at the back of the spine that guide and stabilize movement.

These joints are frequent sources of spinal pain, especially in the cervical and lumbar regions. Pain from facet joints is typically described as localized, aching or stiff and may radiate into the head, shoulders, or buttocks depending on the spinal level.
Interventional pain procedures such as facet joint injections, medial branch blocks and (pulsed) radiofrequency treatmentsare often used for diagnosis and therapy. Because facet pain can mimic disc or muscle pain, accurate identification of zygapophysial joint pain is critical in clinical practice.