Back pain caused by spinal arthritis can have a drastic effect on your lifestyle. The spine is involved in almost any activity performed. From spending time with your family to taking your dog for a walk, spinal pain can make even the most enjoyable activities difficult or impossible. It’s important to look into multiple types of treatment and get started right away in order to improve your quality of life.

How arthritis of the spine causes back pain

Spinal arthritis is a common cause of back pain. Like most health problems, the earlier it is treated the greater the chances of effective treatment. Symptoms of spinal arthritis include localized aches and pains, numbness in the neck or back, stiffness and a crunching feeling of bone rubbing against bone. These symptoms can be similar to those of other spine conditions, so it is important to receive a positive diagnosis. Your doctor can perform a number of tests including blood tests, X-rays, an MRI, CT scan or bone scan to identify the underlying cause.

Spinal arthritis treatment depends on the severity of your back pain as well as your age and general health. Therapy should begin conservatively and progressively become more aggressive if necessary. Nonsurgical treatments include:

• Rest
• Exercise
• Medications
• Hot and/or cold therapy
• Chiropractic care
• Physical therapy

Work with your doctor about creating a personalized treatment plan. If you have fully exhausted these and other treatments without finding the relief necessary for a good quality of life, spine surgery can become an option.

Next steps for arthritis treatment

Surgical treatments for spinal arthritis usually involve removing any tissue and bone that may be pressing against the nerve roots. The minimally invasive outpatient spine surgery performed by the highly skilled surgeons at USA Spine Care can provide relief for degenerative spine conditions like spinal arthritis. Our minimally invasive techniques provide patients with many advantages over traditional open spinal surgery, which generally requires large incisions and muscle disruption in order to provide surgeons with sufficient access to the spinal components. In contrast, minimally invasive spine surgery is performed using micro instruments that are inserted through a small incision using muscle-sparing techniques. As a result, these procedures are much less invasive than traditional open back surgery.

To learn more about how USA Spine Care can help you reclaim your life, contact us today. You can speak to a member of our team who can provide you with information about our minimally invasive decompression and stabilization procedures.

You can also ask for your free MRI review* to determine if you are a potential candidate for one of our procedures.

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