Print This PageSpondylosis: What It Actually Means
Spondylosis refers to a situation where there is degeneration of the spine. It could describe degeneration in the neck portion of the spine (cervical spondylosis) or degeneration in the lower back (lumbar spondylosis). Patients are often confused by the term because, like many other spine terms, doctors tend to use the term spondylosis differently. For example:
- Some doctors use it to refer to general back pain in which there is degeneration of the spine but no known cause for the back pain.
- Other doctors use the term as an “umbrella” term to describe any patient who has both degeneration of the spine and low back pain.
Because of its broad definition, the term is more useful to describe MRI and X-ray findings than it is as a diagnosis for patients.
Degeneration of the spine is a natural phenomenon that occurs as people age. In fact, it is more common for people over age 60 to have degeneration of the spine than not. It is important to note that evidence of spondylosis on an MRI or a computed tomography scan (CT scan) does not mean that the patient’s neck or back pain is being caused by the degeneration.
The Problem with Spondylosis as a Diagnosis
The real problem with the term spondylosis, especially when it is used as a diagnosis, is that it does not address what specifically is creating the patient’s pain.
- There could be spinal stenosis, an abnormal narrowing of the spinal canal, that is creating leg pain when the patient walks.
- The patient may have pain from osteoarthritis of the facet (spinal) joints, causing back pain during times of high activity.
- The pain could be caused by degenerative disc disease, a degenerated disc that becomes dehydrated and loses some of its function, causing low back pain and possibly leg pain.
These are only a few of the many possible contributors to a patient’s pain.
The treatment for the above conditions is vastly different and thus just saying there is spondylosis, or degeneration of the spine, does not give the doctor or the patient any direction in how to treat the pain. Most doctors arrive at a diagnosis by combining findings of:
- The patient’s medical history, which focuses on a complete description of the pain, the pain’s location, severity, and any activities or positions that improve or worsen the pain
- A physical exam, which can further isolate the cause of the pain
- When warranted, further tests to confirm the diagnosis, which may include one or a combination of a radiographic test (such as an MRI scan, CT scan or X-ray), or an injection to a specific area of the spine to see if it eases the pain.
After arriving at a confirmed diagnosis for the cause of a patient’s pain (rather than just the finding that there is degeneration in the spine, which may or may not be causing the pain) physicians then usually use more specific terms for the diagnosis (such as degenerative disk disease, or spinal stenosis) because those terms more effectively describe what is causing the pain.
Questions to Ask
As with many other spine terms, spondylosis is more of a descriptive term than it is a diagnosis. Literally it can be translated to mean that one has both back pain and spine degeneration, regardless of what is causing the pain or where the degeneration is occurring. In order to better focus their treatment, patients should inquire as to which part of the spine is degenerating. For example:
- If it is degeneration of the discs it is likely to be degenerative disc disease.
- If it is degeneration in the facet joints, there is likely osteoarthritis.
Patients should also ask whether or not any related conditions, such as spinal stenosis, require attention. If a person can get these questioned answered, he or she may get a better idea as to what exactly is causing their pain.
