Spondylosis

About Spondylosis

Spondylosis causes pain and stiffness in your back and other parts of your body, depending where it strikes your spine. A degenerative arthritis-like disease, it continues to worsen as you age, so seek an accurate diagnosis and expert medical care as soon as you suspect you have a spinal condition. The best spondylosis treatment is at the Spine & Rehab Group, with eight offices around New York City and northern New Jersey. Call for a consultation today.

Does Spondylosis Affect the Spine?

Spondylosis is a type of osteoarthritis that causes constant pain in your spine. Due to the degenerative nature of this arthritis, sufferers often complain of upper back pain along with neck pain, middle back pain or lower back pain. The back pain is sometimes accompanied by hip and knee pain. Since there’s no permanent cure for arthritis, early diagnosis is crucial in preventing degenerative disc disease, which only increases the pain and complicates the treatment.

Dr. Amr Hosny and the arthritis doctors at the Spine & Rehab Group understand the many conditions that can cause back pain. Dr. Hosny comes highly recommended for back pain spondylosis treatments that are personalized according to your needs. Pick an office location from New York City’s Financial District, Greenwich Village or Midtown Manhattan, or try Cranford, East Brunswick, Englewood Cliffs, Paramus or Riverdale in New Jersey.

Our Board certified doctors Amr Hosny, MD, MBA, FASA Book Now David Chu, MD, FAAPMR Book Now Vivek Mehta, MD, FAAPMR Book Now Deepali Gupta, MD, DABA, DABPM Book Now

What Causes Spondylosis?

To understand how spondylosis affects your spine, your spine specialist can show you x-ray images that reveal how your intervertebral discs are wearing out. These discs, which are the spongy cushions that act as shock absorbers between each vertebra, wear down over time to the point of being ineffective. Once these discs lose the fluid inside and become misshapen due to wear and tear, it causes friction between the spinal bones whenever you move, resulting in pain and stiffness.

Seek spinal spondylosis treatment as early as possible if you’re feeling back pain and other symptoms. If you don’t get the condition treated, spondylosis often causes other spinal problems, such as:

• Cervical spondylosis. The upper part of your spine, along with your whole neck area, may be affected. Without treatment, you may end up with degenerative disc disease in your neck, a herniated disc, a painfully pinched nerve or a slipped or bulging disc. You can also incur shoulder injuries that cause intense shoulder pain.
• Thoracic spondylosis. The middle part of your spine gives you stability when you sit down or stand up. When arthritis affects this part of your back, you can suffer from a mid-back pinched nerve, degenerative disc disease or a disc herniation.
• Lumbar spondylosis. When the lower part of your spine is affected with arthritis, the results may include degenerative disc disease, a bulging disc, a herniated disc or a pinched nerve in your lower back. Sometimes, you can also suffer from hip arthritis either separately or together with spondylosis. This type of arthritis may lead to hip injuries that cause hip pain.

Why Do I Need to Consult a Spondylosis Specialist?

People over the ages of 60 usually suffer from spondylosis due to wear and tear through the aging process. The human body gradually wears out over time. But in some cases, people who’ve had a previous neck injury, such as a cervical sprain, can also get arthritic pain and stiffness.

Talking with a spondylosis specialist helps you understand if trauma from a past sports injury, a car accident or even a bad fall may have resulted in your present condition. To get a cervical spondylosis treatment for your neck pain or a lumbar spondylosis treatment for your lower back pain, mention all your symptoms to your specialist during the examination. For example, be sure to mention if you:

• Have arthritis in your family
• Are training hard for a sports event
• Do repetitive movements at work
• Feel tingling or numbness in your extremities
• Suffer loss of bladder or bowel functionality
• Have a sudden lack of coordination
• Have difficulty walking
• Are unable to reach behind you
• Feel weak in your arms, legs or stomach muscles
• Experience muscle spasms or cramps
• Have heard clicking or locking sounds from the joint
• Experience pain and stiffness in the morning on a regular basis

What Are Effective Spondylosis Treatment Options?

The best treatment for lumbar spondylosis is usually pain medications and regularly icing your back. Dr. Hosny or one of the other experts may even suggest some physical therapy to strengthen your back, hip and leg muscles. For cervical spondylosis, naturopathy treatments are effective, such as wearing a neck brace, getting shoulder and neck massages or going for acupuncture. Other spinal spondylosis treatments your doctor may recommend include:

• Cervical epidural steroid injections
• Mid-back epidural steroid injections
• Lower back epidural steroid injections
• Trigger point injections
• Facet joint injections
• Caudal epidural steroid injections
• Radiofrequency rhizotomy

The best treatment for your spondylosis is determined by the location and severity of your condition. The sooner you seek treatment, the more successful your recovery, so don’t wait. Contact the nearest office of the Spine & Rehab Group.