You may not have heard of facet joints, but they are extremely important to the well-being and function of your musculoskeletal system. Facet joints are special articulations in the spine that allow one vertebra to move over another. They come in pairs, located in the very back of each vertebral body (except for the very top vertebra – the atlas). Depending upon their orientation, they will influence the plane of movement that each vertebra will typically move through. For instance: In the lumbar spine (lower back), the facet joints are oriented more front-to-back. This allows these vertebrae to move easily in flexion/extension - less in rotation. In the thoracic spine (attached to th e ribs), the facet joints shift to a more side-to-side orientation, which allows for less flexion/extension and more rotation In the cervical spine (neck), the angle the facet joints assume will vary from level to level. The very uppermost two vertebrae have fac...