Causes Of Back Pain: Arthritis Of The Spine (spondylosis)

By Author: Adam Arnette
Total Articles: 11
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What is it?

The most common form of arthritis, Osteoarthritis, affects 80% of people over the age of 55. Arthritis occurs when cartilage in joints is worn down over time as a result of wear and tear, injury, or abuse. Arthritis also includes the overgrowth of bone and development of bone spurs.

How it causes pain:

As with other disorders that narrow the spinal canal, arthritis of the spine can irritate the spinal cord and nerves with over-developed bone, hypertrophied ligaments, scar tissue, and inflamed tissue. Nerves are in a constant state of disrupt—which equates to back pain and/or leg pain.

Can it be fixed?

No physician has the ability to reverse arthritis nor can we prevent it from progressing. What we can do is treat the pain symptoms associated with arthritis and help you return to a normal, pain free life.

How it can be treated:

Direct visualization with the endoscope allows specially trained physicians to see the sources of pain related to arthritis or other spine disorders. Many patients that have arthritis have certain levels of ...
... degenerative disc disease as well. With a minimally invasive procedure called the AccuraScope Procedure, specially trained physicians can repair pain problems associated with both of these disorders, whether it's a herniated or bulging disc, or arthritic complications, with just one procedure. Physicians will visualize sources of pain with the camera and repair them with tools like a laser or grasper, allowing for the patient to avoid open back surgery.

Lawrence B. Rothstein is a graduate of Miami University, Oxford, Ohio and The Ohio State University School of Medicine (1987). He completed his internship, residency in Anesthesia, and fellowship in Interventional Pain Management at the Cleveland Clinic where he was named Chief Fellow. He is board certified in Anesthesia and Pain Medicine.

Dr. Rothstein of Dayton, North American Spine and pioneer of the AccuraScope Procedure for back pain.