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Degenerative Joint Disease – Its Definition and Causes

The definition of degenerative joint disease is a gradual deterioration of the articular cartilage that covers joints. The role of the cartilage is to help the joint hinge freely and without friction, but over time the water and proteoglycan levels can decrease, causing collagen fibers to break down. Without healthy cartilage, joint movements force bone to rub against bone, which can lead to inflammation, bone spurs, compressed nerves, and pain. The deterioration is primarily caused by the natural aging process, but can be accelerated by factors like diabetes, obesity, congenital disorders, or injury.

Symptoms of Degenerative Joint Disease

Degenerative joint disease in the spine affects the facet joints, which are the joints on either side of each vertebra that allow the spine to bend and twist. This condition is often referred to as facet disease, or arthritis of the spine. Symptoms will vary depending on which level of the spine is affected, but may include any of the following:

• A grinding feeling of bone rubbing against bone, also called “crepitus”
• Numbness or tingling if joint nerves become compressed by bone spurs
• Joint stiffness or spontaneous joint lockage
• Joint inflammation due to swelling of the synovial joint capsule
• Localized throbbing or pain
• Radiating pain that begins in the back and moves through the extremities

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Treatments for Degenerative Joint Disease

If your primary care physician diagnoses you with degenerative joint disease in the spine, you may be able to manage your symptoms non-surgically with methods like hot-cold compresses, restorative yoga, behavior modification, and anti-inflammatory drugs. If weeks or months of conservative treatments prove ineffective, consider contacting Laser Spine Institute. Our orthopedic experts specialize in minimally invasive procedures that target the source of your back and neck pain. State-of-the-art endoscopic techniques allow us to perform these safe, effective procedures on an outpatient basis, without the risks and long recuperation of an open spine procedure. Contact Laser Spine Institute today for a complimentary review of your MRI or CT scan.

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