Major Causes of Spondylosis and Treatment Options
Spondylosis is a spinal issue caused by various factors. Treatment is customized based on the specific causes. You don’t need to worry about rough treatments or surgery if you are diagnosed with spondylosis. Surgery is the last resort since there are many nonsurgical options available. Chiropractic services and physical therapy are two of the major nonsurgical treatment options for spondylosis. These plus anti-inflammatory medication and lifestyle changes can help in most cases. Spondylosis is a kind of pain resulting from degeneration of the spine. It can occur in:
The cervical area, causing pain in the neck
Thoracic area, causing symptoms in the middle back
The lumbar area, causing pain in the lower back
Causes of Spondylosis There are various factors causingspondylosis:
One of the major causes for spondylosis is spinal osteoarthritis. In spinal arthritis the facet jointsand the small joints behind and between the adjacent vertebrae are usually affected. The cartilage between the facet joints breaks down, causing the bones to rub against each other leading to friction. This causes pain and discomfort, eventually resulting in loss of mobility.
This could also cause osteophytes or bone spurs to develop. These can cause further pain when they press against the spinal nerves, ligaments or muscles.
The aforementioned issues with the facet joints could also cause spondylolisthesis in the lower back, when a vertebra slips over its underlying vertebra. This slipped vertebra could pinch the sciatic nerve as well, causing sciatica felt as pain extending to the buttock and the entire leg.
Spinal stenosis is another cause of spondylosis. This basically refers to the narrowing down of the bone channel accommodating the spinal cord. This occurs when one of the spinal nerve roots is pinched while passing though the foramen or the opening located on the side of each of the vertebrae.
Degenerative disc disease can also cause spondylosis. As the name suggests, this refers to degeneration of the discs making up the spinal cord. The spinal disc thins and eventually breaks down as it loses moisture. This causes pain either as a result of the changes in spinal biomechanics or from the degenerated disc itself.
As you can see, spondylosis caused by spinal osteoarthritis can result in a number of related issues. Since spondylosis isn’t a diagnosis by itself, and is the result of one of many conditions such as spinal osteoarthritis, spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease,
or any other factor, treatment targets those root causes and is therefore customized accordingly. Treatment Broadly speaking, treatment procedures include ultrasound therapy, epidural injections, massage and exercise, though the exact treatment procedure for your particular condition depends on its underlying cause.
Chiropractic treatment is one of the major nonsurgical treatment options for conditions involving the misaligning of a vertebra, called subluxation, which could affect the nervous system. Chiropractic services employed include ultrasound, ice or heat therapy, spinal manipulation, massage and suggesting lifestyle changes.
Physical therapy is another nonsurgical option. This involves combining the aforementioned procedures such as ice/heat therapy and ultrasound along with electrical stimulation and therapeutic exercises that enable you to increase your range of motion and flexibility, both of which could have been affected by the spondylosis.The isometric physical therapy exercises can also help build strength.
In severe spondylosis cases, bed rest may be prescribed for 1 to 3 days only. Braces may have to be worn for a week. These must not be continued beyond the prescribed period since they could cause more issues.
Other
options
include
prescription
or
OTC
NSAIDs
(non-steroidal
anti-
inflammatory drugs) and muscle relaxants. Spondylosis can be effectively treated and managed non-surgically. Advanced physical therapy rehabilitation centers in Brooklyn, NY can offer customized and efficient care.
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