1-

• Contact Laser Spine Institute
• Request MRI Review
• Medical Spine Seminar

You are here

• Home
• »
• Spine Conditions

Spinal Arthritis Causes

Spinal arthritis causes can include a variety of different factors. However, before exploring the causes, let’s first break down spinal arthritis into its subsets and symptoms. Fully educating yourself about your diagnosis of spinal arthritis is the first step to relieving the pain of this debilitating disorder. Remember, spinal arthritis symptoms do not have to be a fixture in your life.

Spinal arthritis mainly affects the joints of the spine, which are called facet joints. In the cervical spine (neck), thoracic spine (middle back), and lumbar spine (lower back), there are about two dozen stacked vertebrae, and the movement of these vertebrae is supported by interlocking facet joints located between them. Movement also is padded by soft intervertebral discs between each vertebral body.

In osteoarthritis, also called “wear-and-tear” arthritis, the cartilage between facet joints begins to degrade, and the cartilage in spinal discs may degrade, as well. Without padding, each movement the joint makes can be extremely painful. While specific spinal arthritis causes have not been proven by medical science, most doctors believe it is caused by a combination of the following factors:

• Aging – as we age, our joints become more brittle and cartilage breaks down
• Obesity – increased weight on the joints leads to overexertion, and joints wear out more quickly than they should
• Overuse of joint – repeated or heavy use of a joint due to sports or other physical activity
• Genetic predisposition – hereditary factors can determine how likely your joints are to degrade
• A lowered immune system – illness, disease, or genetics can cause your immune system to plummet, thereby reducing your body’s ability to regenerate and function normally

Another main type of spinal arthritis is spinal rheumatoid arthritis, which is the inflammation of the facet joints. Doctors still aren’t sure what causes rheumatoid arthritis in the spine or elsewhere in the body, but they do understand several factors that contribute to this disease:

• Autoimmune dysfunction – rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder which means the body’s cells are attacks the body’s own healthy tissue; in rheumatoid arthritis, the immune system attacks the synovial membrane on joints, a lining of tissue that, when healthy, provides joints with constant lubrication
• Aging – most common in individuals over the age of 50
• Gender predisposition – more common in women
• Location – if rheumatoid arthritis appears in the spine, it will occur most frequently in the cervical (upper) region of the spine

Click Here to see how you can get your life back in 5 days

If your physician has done a full physical, proceeded with medical imaging, and has diagnosed you with spinal arthritis, it will be important for you to try a conventional treatment schedule to help relieve your pain. Spinal arthritis exercises, rest, and anti-inflammatory medications may prove effective. If not, Laser Spine Institute (LSI) offers minimally-invasive, endoscopic procedures that could help you rediscover an active lifestyle once again. Contact us today to receive a free review of your MRI or CT scan, or for more information on spinal arthritis causes, symptoms, and treatments.

Please note: Laser Spine Institute currently does not perform endoscopic procedures on the thoracic spine.