Why does it occur?

Spondylosis is a very common wear-and-tear or aging process of the spine that results in arthritic spur formations and/or narrowing of the discs between the bones in your spine.  This typically occurs slowly over time, however trauma to the back or certain underlying medical issues may increase the rate of arthritis.

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Bone spurs and disc degeneration may lead to pain, muscle spasms, numbness, tingling, and/or weakness. The pain can occur from the actual wear on the joints in the spine.  The bone spurs and resultant decreased space available for the nerves can result in numbness, tingling, pain, and eventually weakness of the muscles.  Spondylosis typically presents most commonly in the Cervical Spine (neck) and the Lumbar Spine (low back).

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Symptoms:

Spondylosis typically presents as neck and/or low back pain and stiffness that may or may not radiate to the extremities.  Cervical spondylosis may present as neck pain with associated headaches.  Although Spondylosis develops overtime, patients may not have any symptoms until an aggravating event takes place.  It can be frustrating and confusing to patients when they learn their back pain is arthritis when they never had any back pain previously.  This is a common question and a common presentation of Spondylosis.  While some patients have on-and-off back pain that gradually worsens, other patients may present with a very sudden onset of pain after a strain, overuse, or fall which aggravates the underlying arthritis.

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Diagnostic Testing:

An X-ray will normally be recommended during your office visit with Dr. Steven Lee.  The X-ray is a valuable tool to assess the bones in your spine.  Dr. Lee will assess for any mal-alignment, arthritis spur formation, disc or joint space narrowing, or other bony pathology.

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Please note that X-ray findings do not always directly relate to a patient's level of symptoms.  Patients with significant X-ray findings may feel relatively well while some patients with severe symptoms have relatively benign looking X-rays. It is important to treat the patient’s symptoms as opposed to treating his/her X-ray findings alone.  If a herniated disc or nerve compression is suspected, Dr. Lee may consider an MRI as well.

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Treatment Options:

Treatment options will vary depending on the severity of symptoms. While the majority of patients' symptoms improve with non-operative treatment, it is important to note that we do not have the ability to reverse the arthritic damage but instead treat the pain and associated symptoms.

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Back health habits include keeping a healthy weight, avoiding bending at the waist and instead bend the level of the knees, avoid heavy lifting and high impact activities. Prolonged sitting or prolonged standing/walking may also aggravate your symptoms.

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Physical Therapy is a very important aspect of treatment to strengthen the surrounding musculature of the spine and strengthen your core.  NSAIDs such as Advil or Aleve (if not contraindicated) may be advised to reduce inflammation in the area.  If your pain is acute and severe, stronger medications may be discussed to address the pain.  Injections such as an Epidural Steroid Injections can be useful to patients with severe pain or pain that did not improve with Physical Therapy, activity modifications, and/or NSAID use.

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Surgical Treatment:

 

The majority of back pain is treated successfully without the need for surgery.  However, surgery will be advised in those patients with progressive neurologic compromise or weakness of the muscles.  Surgery can also be performed for those patients with severe pain that is unable to be controlled via nonoperative means, a decision the patient gets to determine.

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*It is important to note that all of the information above is not specific to anyone and is subject to change based on many different factors including but not limited to individual patient, diagnosis, and treatment specific variables. It is provided as an educational service and is not intended to serve as medical advice.  Anyone seeking specific orthopedic advice or assistance should consult Dr. Steven Lee or an orthopedic specialist of your choice.

 

*Dr. Steven Lee is a board certified orthopedic surgeon and is double fellowship trained in the areas of Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery, and Sports Medicine. He has offices in New York City, Scarsdale, and Westbury Long Island.