Spondylosis

Spondylosis is a degenerative musculoskeletal disease, a degenerative lesion of the vertebrae and intervertebral discs. Spondylosis causes the discs to flatten and the space between the vertebrae to narrow. This places increased stress on the vertebrae, which develop bony ridges, outgrowths, beaks and staples (spondylophytes).

It mostly affects middle-aged people, usually with calcifications affecting 3 vertebrae of the spine. It is important to stress, however, that the majority of lesions detected are not symptomatic and that there is no strong correlation between the severity of confirmed spondylosis spondylarthrosis and symptoms.

Causes of spondylosis

The causes of spondylosis can be primary, age-related, or secondary, which can be the result of static abnormalities, overloading, injuries and diseases of the spine over a long period of time.

Secondary spondylosis is the most common underlying cause:

• Doing heavy physical work
• One-sided load, sedentary work
• Bad posture
• Muscle imbalance
• Previous trauma
• Spinal diseases
• Metabolic disorders may be

Symptoms of spondylosis

The onset of symptoms caused by a lesion is usually less dependent on the extent of the lesions and more on the location of the bony degenerations. In addition, a minor trauma can trigger the onset or worsening of symptoms. In the majority of cases, this causes localised pain that does not radiate to the limbs. Reflexively, it causes contraction of the dorsal muscles adjacent to the spine, or postural dysfunction, with changes in the normal curvature of the spine.

Types of spondylosis

Spondylosis spondylolisthesis can be divided into 3 groups based on the spinal segment affected. Thus we can talk about cervical, back and lumbar spondylosis. The location of the lesion greatly influences the onset and intensity of the symptoms, so it is easy to group the problem according to the symptoms.

Cervical spondylosis

The spondylosis lesion in the cervical part of the spinal column. Typical symptoms include:

• Neck pain (dull, sharp or shooting)
• Difficult, restricted neck movement
• Tight, stiff, crampy neck muscles
• Stuck neck
• Pain radiating into the shoulder, arm
• Headache

Spinal spondylosis

The spondylosis lesion in the dorsal segment of the spinal column. Typical symptoms include:

• Rigid movement
• Pressure sensitive, sore muscles
• Restricted movement
• Pain radiating to the side
• Stabbing pain between the shoulder blades

Lumbar spondylosis

The lesion is in the lumbar (lower lumbar) part of the spinal column. Typical symptoms include:

• Lower back pain in the morning and evening
• Lower back pain increases when bending forward
• Increased when sitting and leaning forward
• Restriction of movement at the waist
• Radiating pain towards the sacrum and hip