What is Arthritis of the spine?

Arthritis of the spine Click the pictures to see the stages of Osteoarthritis of the spine. Read all about arthritis below and helping its associated symptoms. If you cannot see the images below you need to update your Adobe Flash Player for free - just click the link and follow the instructions. What is arthritis of the spine? Arthritis of the spine has many other terms to describe it - Spinal Degeneration, Osteoarthritis (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 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 The discs are no longer as thick and have lost water and elasticity they are starting to 'drying out'. This will start to effect the movements between vertebrae. 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 bone 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 excessive bone growth. Helping Osteoarthritis What can reverse Arthritis of the spine? Although some limited animal evidence in rats exists to show early mechanical manipulation can help reverse Osteoarthritis in the spine, no human studies exist . Why? very simply logistically to run a trial for a lifetime of a person would be virtually unworkable. On a daily basis however, Chiropractors can bring about tremendous relief of symptoms of e.g. chronic/acute low back or neck pain, muscle spasms or stiffness in people who have been suffering with symptoms associated with Arthritis. How can Chiropractors ‘treat’ Arthritis of the spine without treating Arthritis of the spine? In simple terms a spine can behave much like an older car engine. If you have a car engine that is making a funny noise and not running properly, tuning it up and giving it a service could help to make it work better. The engine is still worn. This 'tuning up' of the spine is how Chiropractors often help you. Red Herrings We rarely find Arthritis of the spine to be the sole cause of your pains and therefore labelling it as such can be a bit of a ‘red herring’. Just because you have been told you have Arthritis of the spine, verbally, via X-ray or MRI scans it does not mean that your pain is necessarily all caused by this. Arthritis of the spine does not necessarily have to hurt. There can often be a disparity between imaging results and pain. It is estimated that 80% of the population will have radiographic evidence of Osteoarthritis (OA) by the age of 65, although only 60% of those will show symptoms. In fact an MRI can show the first signs of Arthritis of the spine - a 'dehydrating disc' - in your early twenties! MRI and X-rays cannot tell you where your pain is coming from nor whether it can be helped, so it's always worth while getting professional advice to see if anything can be done to help your pains. What improvement in symptoms could I expect with my ‘arthritis’? After a thorough exam your Chiropractor will make a judgement about how much of your symptoms could be coming from the Arthritis itself (which Chiropractors cannot help with) and how much could be coming from other pain producing tissues which we could help with. In the spine we look for example 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/addressing these problems your ''arthritis pains'' could well be helped - don’t forget if you have an old worn car if you service it, it will run better, but it is still old and worn! So, if our conclusion is 60% of your problems are due to Arthritis this could mean you could improve up to 40%. Most patients feel improvements with the symptoms associated with Arthritis within 2-4 visits although your maximum point of improvement is likely to take longer than this. Many patients find that in order to maintain their improvements they require periodic, elective check ups. Why? Simply because patients report e.g. in the spine that these periodic vertebral manipulations (adjustments) and or muscle ‘manipulation’ makes their spine less painful, feel more mobile/flexible and leave them better able to deal with their daily activities. Your Chiropractor will be happy to discuss these elective check ups with you on an individual basis along with self help exercises and home advice that can all contribute to helping your ‘arthritic’ symptoms. Osteoarthritis of the spine