What Causes Spondylosis?
Spondylosis is caused by wear and tear on the spine, usually from aging.1 This degeneration of the disks in your spinal column and the cushions between your vertebrae may cause nerve compression.2 You also may develop abnormal growths, called bone spurs or thickened ligaments, on your spine. These conditions can create pain in your neck or back.
In addition to aging, other factors that can cause spondylosis include:1-4
- Playing sports often
- Being overweight and not exercising
- A job that requires heavy lifting or a lot of bending and twisting
- A past neck or spine injury
- A ruptured or slipped disk
- Severe arthritis
In addition, researchers believe that some people may be born with vertebral bone that is thinner than normal, which may make them more vulnerable to conditions such as spondylosis.4
Spondylosis Symptoms
Spondylosis is most common in the neck (cervical spondylosis) and in the back (lumbar spondylosis). The main symptoms of spondylosis are pain and stiffness.
Other symptoms of cervical (neck) spondylosis and lumbar (back) spondylosis include:1-4
- Tingling, numbness, and weakness in your arms, hands, legs, or feet
- Headaches, especially in the back of your head
- A feeling similar to a muscle strain or tight hamstring
- Lack of coordination and difficulty walking
- Loss of bladder or bowel control
- Pain that worsens with activity and improves with rest
If you have symptoms of spondylosis, we encourage you to seek prompt medical attention. If your spinal cord and/or nerve roots become severely compressed as a result of spondylosis, it can cause permanent damage.2
Diagnosing Spondylosis
To diagnose spondylosis, we will conduct a physical exam that may include checking the range of motion in your neck, testing your reflexes and muscle strength, and observing whether spinal compression is affecting how you walk.2 We also may conduct imaging tests such as x-ray, CT scan, MRI, or a nerve function test called electromyography.1
How We Treat Spondylosis at DFW Laser Spine Institute
At DFW Spine Institute, our goal for spondylosis treatment is to relieve your pain and other symptoms, improve your quality of life, and help prevent permanent injury to your spinal cord and nerves. We typically consider non-surgical pain management first, such as physical therapy, pain management injections, or nerve blocks.
If conservative treatments don’t bring enough pain relief, we offer a number of minimally invasive surgical procedures for spondylosis, which we perform on an outpatient basis, to create more room in your spinal cord and relieve pressure on your nerves.1,2 These procedures may include:
- Laminectomy, a surgical approach for nerve decompression, that involves removing the bony arch that forms the posterior side of the lamina (spinal canal)
- Facetectomy, a procedure that involves removing facet joints that are putting pressure on a nerve
- Foraminotomy, a procedure that removes bone spurs
- Discectomy, a procedure in which a herniated disk is removed
- Spinal fusion, which stabilizes the spine by fusing a segment of your neck with a bone graft2
- Removing part of your vertebra
The good news is that most people with spondylosis are free from pain and other symptoms after treatment.4
Start Living a Pain-Free Life
If pain from spondylosis is interfering with your daily life, we may be able to help. We offer a Free MRI Review and we’re happy to answer any questions about non-surgical and minimally invasive treatments for spondylosis in your neck or back.
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