Osteoarthritis is a very common form of arthritis that occurs when the cartilage between aligning facet joints in the back portion of the spine mechanically breaks down over time, leading to common symptoms like inflammation, stiffness and pain in these joints and possibly resulting in bone spurs that irritate or trap the spinal nerves.  Non-surgical care such as medications, exercise, physical therapy and chiropractic is typically the first line of osteoarthritis treatment. In rare cases, osteoarthritis may require a spinal fusion surgery when the joint is severely unstable or a lumbar laminectomy surgery when the spinal nerves are affected.

• Osteoarthritis Health Center – Spine-health.com
• Understanding Spinal Osteoarthritis – Spine-health.com article
• Osteoarthritis Video – Spine-health.com

In this ISASS Guide for Patients:

• Common Spinal Conditions
• Non-Surgical Spine Treatments
• Surgical Spine Treatments

Content provided by: Spine-health
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The information provided herein should not be used as a substitute for medical advice in any way.  A licensed medical professional should be consulted for any and all medical conditions and symptoms.