What is spondylosis?
Spondylosis or osteoarthritis of the spine is a condition in which the cartilage lining the vertebrae changes degeneratively, or "wears out" in popular terms. This condition most often occurs on the vertebrae in the neck and lower spine. Sometimes spondylosis causes osteophytes (spikes) on the vertebral bodies that can press on the nerves exiting the spinal canal, causing weakness in the arms or legs. Also, spondylosis can cause conditions such as a herniated disc.
Causes of spondylosis
Most often, spondylosis occurs as a result of the aging process. However, spondylosis can also occur in younger people, especially in today's era of computers and office work. In this case, the main cause of spondylosis is a lack of adequate movement in the spine as well as repetitive stress on the discs and vertebrae when sitting for a long time in one position. In chiropractic, we believe that vertebral subluxation plays one of the biggest roles in the development of spondylosis. It is a condition where the vertebra is fixed in a certain position, which causes a decrease in the range of motion in that segment that suffers greater stress, and degenerative changes occur.
Other causes of developing spondylosis in younger people can be:
- Injuries or some kind of trauma (accidents, falls, etc.) - Genetic cartilage defect - Disc herniation - Some other condition or disease affecting the cartilage.
Up to the age of 45, spondylosis occurs more often in men, over 45 it occurs more often in women. Overweight people, smokers, people who consume large amounts of alcohol, or people who engage in activities that place repetitive stress on the spine are more susceptible to developing spondylosis.
symptoms
Stiffness and pain in the neck or lower back are the two most common symptoms that patients complain about. In most cases, the feeling of stiffness is more pronounced in the morning and decreases with activity, while the pain passes or is milder when the patient lies down. Tingling and weakness in the arms or legs is present in certain cases when the osteophytes press on the nerve structures.
Diagnosis
After taking a detailed history from the patient, a physical examination is performed, which determines the quality of the range of motion in the spine and determines which structure is causing the pain (bone, disc, ligament, muscle or nerve).
To establish the diagnosis of spondylosis, the most adequate additional finding is an X-ray. In addition to an X-ray, CT, magnetic resonance or blood tests can be useful if it is suspected that another disease is causing degenerative changes.
Treatment
Chiropractic is of great importance in the treatment of spondylosis, especially as it plays a key role in prevention. With regular chiropractic adjustments, we restore and maintain normal movement between the vertebrae and thus prevent the development and accumulation of degenerative material. Chiropractic adjustments also release nerves and allow free flow of impulses to organs and tissues. In addition to chiropractic adjustments, stretching and muscle strengthening exercises are crucial. With them, we introduce movement in the spine and improve circulation, which is important for tissue nutrition.
Spondylosis belongs to the group of so-called cold arthritis and therefore the application of heat has a positive effect (not to be confused with certain rheumatic conditions that are inflammatory in nature, so heat is contraindicated). The electromagnet deeply increases oxygenation in the tissue, so it is recommended as such in the treatment of osteoarthritis. Conventional medicine has an extremely poor response to treating osteoarthritis. It is usually symptomatic therapy to reduce pain, in the form of drugs or injections, which in most cases causes more side effects than benefits.
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