Osteoarthritis of the Spine: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments

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Don’t ignore spine stiffness and back pain symptoms, it may be due to Osteoarthritis of the spine; A degenerative joint disease characterized by breakdown of bone cartilage and the underlying bone which is the spine. Pain in such cases can worsen over the time due to the formation of bone spurs or osteophytes that irritates and pushes the adjacent nerves causing reverberating nerve pain.

Spine enables upright posture, flexible movement and protects the spinal nerves. Progressive degeneration of this central bone structure can damage the spinal nerves and also cause disabilities . Spinal osteoarthritis is one of the common forms of arthritis of the spine seen in the older population and in women above the age of 45. Early diagnosis and lifestyle modifications can be helpful in treating spinal osteoarthritis by minimising symptoms and reducing the severity of the condition. When non-surgical approaches cannot relieve one from acute pain and disability, surgery can be recommended.

Table of Contents

Feel free to skip ahead if one topic catches your eye:

What is osteoarthritis of the spine?
Causes and Risk Factors
How is it Diagnosed?
How is osteoarthritis of the spine treated?
Why choose India for the Treatment?

Take Away

What is osteoarthritis of the spine?

Facet joints are present in pairs in each of the vertebrae of the vertebral column or the backbone. These bones connect the vertebrae and allow flexible movements. Wearing and tearing of these facet joints causes the breakdown of the cartilage present between the joints. As the cartilage deteriorates, bone rubs against each other and movement without the cartilage causes pain, stiffness, inflammation and muscle spasms. As a result of joint pain and instability, bone spurs may be formed on the surface of the facet joints that compress and pressurize the nerves nearby propagating the nerve pain.

Osteoarthritis occurs in the upper neck region(cervical spondylosis) or thoracic osteoarthritis or the lower back (lumbar osteoarthritis). Spinal osteoarthritis starts with stiffness, inflammation and back pain that is predominant in the morning hours probably due to long hours of inactivity and eases with the day’s activity. However, stiffness and pain can worsen towards the end of the day. The symptoms like joint tenderness, weakness or numbness in the legs or arms, etc can worsen over time. Pain is constantly felt in sitting and standing postures and loss of flexibility of the back is commonly seen in this progressive disease.

Causes and Risk Factors

Both sides of the facet joints are smooth and lined with cartilage. The exact cause of the facet cartilage degeneration is not known. However, certain risk factors can cause spinal osteoarthritis in a few. Some of the factors are discussed below :

Advancing age : As one ages, the intervertebral discs that act as shock absorbers wear out and get dehydrated causing stenosis of discs and eventually lose their buffering capacity. This narrowing of discs can exert excess load and pressure on the facet joints.

High risks in females : Women especially over the age of 45 experience lower back pain, and symptoms of spine osteoarthritis. This may be due to genetic predisposition or hormones.

Genetics : If your family has a history of osteoarthritis of the spine, then you have a higher risk of having spinal osteoarthritis.

Stress or injury : Any kind of continuous stress or pressure over the back bone and joints can cause injury of the joints leading to this condition.

Being overweight : People with excess weight are also at risk. The facet joints are small compared to the amount of weight they bear. This pressurises the joints and aggravates symptoms and degeneration of cartilage.

Spinal osteoarthritis if at a young age, can be a result of an injury or trauma. Osteoarthritis of the spine progressively increases the severity of the symptoms hampering the daily activities and later causing disability. Sometimes, disability can affect the psychosocial conditions of a person as well.

How is it Diagnosed?

Diagnosis of spinal osteoarthritis includes physical examination to check inflammation, joint tenderness and restricted mobility of the back. This is followed by a series of diagnostic tests that would be best suggested by your specialists. A few are described below.

X-rays : X rays are done to check the joint damage, location and presence of spurs that would help provide accurate therapy.
CT Scan : Computerised Tomography of the back can show the regions around the spine and adjacent structures. It displays images of conditions such as disc stenosis, bone spurs, if any.
MRI Scan : This advanced imaging technique shows images of spinal cord, nerves, vertebral discs, surrounding ligaments, tissues.
CT Scan with myelogram : CT scan when combined with Myelogram can provide information on how the bone affects the nerve roots, Minute nerve details are obtained by this diagnostic tool.
Electromyography (EMG) : EMG is done to assess the electrical activity of the nerve. Extent of nerve root compression or nerve degeneration can be understood by electric transmission on specific nerves.
Joint Fluid Analysis : Sometimes, Fluid samples of the affected joints are extracted to test to check whether the symptoms are caused due to osteoarthritis of the spine or some other reason.

Diagnostic studies are done to find the source, location and extent of nerve injury, bone spurs, cartilage deterioration to help provide an appropriate treatment plan to relieve pain and disability issues.

How is osteoarthritis of the spine treated?

Treatment of Osteoarthritis of the spine is mainly driven to relieve the symptoms and avert further damage to the bone and nerves. Though Spinal osteoarthritis cannot be reversed, timely diagnosis and treatment can slow down the progression of this very condition. A range of treatment options available include :

Physiotherapy : Physiotherapists will work on the joints and muscles of the back to strengthen, increase mobility, and flexibility. Strengthening and stretching the affected region are crucial in treating osteoarthritis of the spine. The muscles supporting the back bone relaxes, reducing the pressure on vertebral discs and facet joints that confine further injury or damage. Therapeutic massage can counter pain issues, reducing muscle tension and spasms.

- Yoga : Yoga, in other words exercises controlled by proper and rhythmic breathing can benefit by systematically increasing flexibility, lower chronic pain while maintaining a healthy weight. Yoga asanas for the back can certainly improve blood flow in the affected regions, and can improve a range of facet joint cartilage motions.
- Acupuncture : This therapy works on the principle of regulating energy flow within the body. It involves patterns of needles inserted at specific points of the skin that help propagate energy flow within and maintain normal flow of energy that can reduce pain, stiffness, etc.

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) : Sometimes, your doctor may advise TENS to relieve acute back pain. A non-invasive therapy where controlled amounts of electric waves are passed that decreases nerve sensitivity near the affected region.

Hot and cold compresses : Your doctor can sometimes give you heat or cold compresses, like placing ice or heated compresses on the affected region that would reduce inflammation and muscle spasms.

Facet joint blocks : Nerve blocks can be administered by your specialist that block the nerves of the facet joint to help restrict the movement of the spine.

If the symptoms of spinal osteoarthritis persists and the nerve damage is immense, that can lead to renal failure and disabilities, a surgery could be recommended to release you from continual pain and agony. Surgery is done to relieve the pressure on the spinal cord by releasing the nerve roots from compressing bone spurs (Facet rhizotomy). Sometimes, the spinal cord is stabilized by fusing segments of the spine together (bone fusion).

Why choose India for the Treatment?

A key to treat Osteoarthritis of the spine is early diagnosis. The most common reason for acute back pain is degradation of the vertebral joints. India endows a wide range of therapeutic treatment options and benefits to minimise the symptomatic effects of chronic spinal osteoarthritis. Enlisting the featured benefits as to why you can choose India for diagnosis and treatment.

Experienced Orthopadecians :Highly skilled and experienced doctors, therapists and orthopaedics who ensure to provide precise and prudent solutions to prolonged and progressive illness such as osteoarthritis.
Individualized patient care : Every individual’s concern and condition is different from the other. Doctors, orthopaedic specialists endow personalised treatment plans with comprehensive patient care.
Extensive infrastructure: India is known for its hospitality and health care services. Hospitals here are backed and well equipped by world class infrastructure.
Transplantation criticalities : Adversities of spinal osteoarthritis can lead to spinal nerve damage or even cause kidney dysfunction. This extreme condition can require kidney transplant. India has a huge success rate of transplant procedures with patients across the globe.
Advanced diagnostics : Diagnosis involves extensive laboratories, diagnostic centers with latest technology and machinery. Techniques adopted by hospitals are geared with state-of-the-art technologies and minimally invasive methodologies for diagnosing and treating various conditions including cancer.
Yoga centre : India has been the world centre for Yoga. Yoga is known to limit the worsening of symptoms of spinal osteoarthritis. It regulates blood flow, relieves body pain, improves flexibility and your overall health. Health benefits of regular yoga can be availed by yoga experts in India.
Ease of medical visa : If you are planning for a treatment in India, your medical trip to India can be a hassle free one with Medinirvana. We take care of every aspect of your treatment such as complete documentation, medical visa, travel, accommodation assistance, etc.
Safety norms in covid situation : The covid situation has brought up new normal safety standards to be followed. Sanitization, Hygiene maintenance, physical distancing is well endorsed and followed in India as per ICMR regulations. Health care professionals have embraced novel technologies and safety standards that ensure minimum patient contact and creation of separate sectors for non-covid patients.
Medical privacy : Medinirvana strictly maintains privacy of your medical history. We, as health care supporters, value confidentiality and will not disclose patients’ records, details without their consent.
No language barriers : Official medium of communication by the medical fraternity in India is english. Thus creating no hurdles in effective communication enabling accurate diagnosis and effective treatment.

Any Health condition is a carrier of pain and distress. If planning for diagnosis and treatment in India, Medinirvana will arrange everything for you so that you don’t have to worry more during your difficult time because your health is our priority.

Take Away

Osteoarthritis of the spine is the degeneration of the cartilage cushioning the facet joint. This progressive condition can affect the adjacent nerves causing back pain, inflammation, muscle spasms, nerve pain and injury. Though treatment provisions are limited to relieving symptoms, your orthopaedic specialists can guide you with the best diagnosis that could find the exact cause of underlying condition and the best treatment that would help curb further progression of this very condition of spinal osteoarthritis.

Treatment benefits can improve overall health status and help pursue a healthy lifestyle. Not to forget the added advantages of yoga, whose epicentre is India. India has one of the best skilled medical forces, whose experienced hands can help combat many critical conditions.

People from different corners of the globe visit India to avail the treatment benefits. We, at Medinirvana will assist you at every stage of medical travel to India, right from medical visa to doctor and hospital appointments. During the covid times as well, we assure you to make your stay and treatment a convenient and a safe experience.