Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and pain killers are frequently prescribed for headaches, neck pain and lower back pain. Often the primary cause of these symptoms is a biomechanical dysfunction of one or more of the synovial facet joints of the cervical or lumbar vertebra. This dysfunction may be caused by trauma, prolonged poor posture, general wear and tear and muscle hypertonicity, which results in a loss of range of motion of the joint in both the active and passive ranges. This, in turn, results in inflammation, which causes a swelling of the joint complex and low-grade pressure is placed on the associated spinal nerve. The pressure on the nerve results in aberrant nerve conduction to the musculature supplied by that nerve. This causes spasm of the muscle and further loss of range of motion of the joint that it moves, creating a perpetual cycle.