What is arthritis of the spine?
Arthritis of the spine has many other terms to describe it - Spinal Degeneration, Osteoarthritis Arthritis (OA) , Spondylosis , Spondylitis.
Arthritis of the spine can really be thought of in the most simple terms as the vertebrae 'fusing' together. Essentially the degenerative process causes the vertebrae to move closer together (see the pictures) due to abnormal disc wear and thinning. As a result many bony growths (osteophytes) appear in the later stages around the vertebrae. This degeneration is one of the reasons why you loose height as you grow older. Spinal degeneration can be simply categorised in the following way:-
- Normal- no signs of arthritis of the spine.
- Mild arthritis of the spine.
- Moderate arthritis of the spine.
- Severe arthritis of the spine.
In a text book normal spine-no arthritis of the spine
There is no spinal degeneration. The discs are all thick and full of fluid giving the disc its elastic properties that enable you to move freely.Mild arthritis of the spine
Moderate arthritis of the spine
Further loss of water and elasticity means that the disc is thinned even more. Loss of movement is greater and now bony growths (osteophytes) start to appear between vertebrae which will start to fuse the vertebrae together.Severe arthritis of the spine
The disc to all intents and purposes has worn away to a fraction of its original state and has 'dried out'. Very little if any movement occurs between the vertebrae now due to this disc wear and the excessive bony osteophyte growth between vertebrae.
Helping you
No one can reverse spinal degeneration but as chiropractors we can often help you with the symptoms you feel (pain, muscle spasms and stiffness). Frequently we find you get told that your pains and symptoms are caused by arthritis - when in fact this is not always the case. It is a well known fact that MRI's can show arthritic changes in the spine in indiviuals who have never had pain there also people with normal MRI's can feel lots of pain. There is often a disparity between imaging results and pain.
In the spine often we look for
- Restricted vertebral movement - vertebrae that have become stiffer.
- Muscle spasm/stiffness.
- Any local muscle weakness, weaker core & pelvis muscles.
- Muscle tightness in the spine and pelvis.
All of the above may contribute to your ''arthritic pains''. By treating these problems your ''arthritis pains'' could well be helped.
Think of this another way - if you have an old worn car if you service it, it will run better, but it is still old and worn!
The percentage improvement you could expect to feel varies depending on how much of your symptoms are in fact really due to the damage of the arthritis itself and not any other factors. We could help you by addressing a number of possible causative factors so that your spine is given every opportunity to stay healthier. There could be a variety of reasons why you may have spinal degeneration. Here are some examples (not in any particular order).
- Genetics
- Lack of exercise and muscle imbalance
- Obesity
- Poor posture /ergonomics
- Poor nutrition /diet
- Smoking
- Trauma in the past (falls/accidents)
- Others
Altering 2-6 may help you in the future, of course you cannot alter what is programmed in your genes, nor have a crystal ball to know any unknown causes, but a lot could be done now and in to the future to try to keep you felling better so you can do the things you want to do.
We are also able to:-
We are also able to:-
- Advise which exercises and muscle stretches could be of benefit to you and which ones to avoid.
- Discuss ways in which you could help you to loose weight - for every 1lb of fat on your stomach produces 10lbs of pressure on your spine and 6 lbs on your hips, knees and ankles. Being overweight literally squeezes the life out of your joints!
- Discuss and advise for example how best to sit at work or at a computer.
- Advise if we think certain supplements (glucosamine sulphate etc), minerals or vitamins could benefit you - e.g. Vitamin C and D and calcium deficiencies have been linked to arthritis.
- You should also aim to stop smoking.The NHS has a didicated department to help you give up. There as there is a greater incidence of back pain in smokers than non smokers. Clogging of the small blood vessels that bring nutrients to repair your vertebrae and discs is thought to one of the reasons.
Elective spinal check ups may help keep your spine more mobile and flexible.