[annapurna]

The main argument about ADR resolving or not resolving facet pain was lumbar but the results and logic there should apply to cervical. Basically, the improvement in disk motion going from a degenerated natural disk to a correct height ADR would improve the motion of the facets and decrease pain. That's balanced by the tendency for all ADRs to allow for some degree of non-physiologically correct motion which overloads the facets. Experience with lumbar seemed to say that mildly damaged facets benefitted from the improved discal motion and decreased pain and severely degenerated facets held constant or got worse. Moderately degenerated facets were a crap-shoot to see if they'd improve or not.

Cervical forces should be lower than lumbar but all of the structures are also smaller so the stresses might be similar between the two areas. Cervical motion, from what I remember, is a lot higher than lumbar so you have that working against the logic of improving facet pain by using an ADR.

As one data point - Laura did end up with a pair of cervical ADRs and has mild ongoing facet pain from the hypermobile segments. Her pain is better than it was pre-ADRs and has resolved to the point where prolotherapy to limit hypermobility, exercise & stretching, and turmeric is enough to keep her functional - no drugs needed - but the pain isn't fully gone.