What Are the Causes of Spondylosis?

Spondylosis is a common form of arthritis found in many people that are more advanced in age. While spondylosis is commonly found in older people, it is possible for it to form in a person of any age. Spondylosis often leads to more serious problems, and leaves the patient battling painful back arthritis along with other back conditions.

Identification

• The term spondylosis comes from the combination of two Latin words. "Losis" means problem, and "spondy" means spine, so "spondylosis" means a problem with the spine.
  Spondylosis is often referred to by physicians as spinal arthritis. It is thought to be brought on by advancing age, but the conditions under which a person can start to feel the effects of spondylosis can vary.

Features

• The symptoms of spondylosis usually run from the neck to the middle of the back and then down to the lower back. Common symptoms are stiffness in any area of the neck or back immediately after getting out of bed in the morning, pain caused when bending the back forward and a numbness in the back or neck area.
  Leg pain commonly known as sciatica can also be classified as a symptom of spondylosis.

Types

• Spondylosis is a condition that is caused mostly by advancing age, and the daily wear and tear given to our spine as we grow older. Primarily spondylosis is the loss of the soft material between spinal bones known as discs. When the discs begin to degenerate, spondylosis will begin to set in.
  Spondylosis can also affect the joints in the spinal column called the facet joints. This can cause pain whenever the patient moves the joints in their back. This version of spondylosis is referred to as osteoarthritis, and this is the single most recurring form of arthritis in the United States.

Effects

• Spondylosis is only the beginning of a series of back problems. The condition causes a lack of water to reach the discs, and this is what causes the discs to degenerate.
  At some point, the disc material will be degenerated enough where the bones in the spine are making contact with each other, and this can lead to a series of more serious back problems, such as bone spurs and spinal fusion, which is when bones begin to fuse together.

Considerations

• Spondylosis can also be caused by abnormal growth of the bones in the spine. Spinal bones that grow abnormally can begin to push on the disc material in such a way that it begins to push on the nerves running along the spine. This can cause tremendous pain, or possibly a numbing sensation in the leg and back.