Alleviating Spinal Osteoarthritis With Spinal Decompression

Introduction

The spine allows the body to do various things like move, bend, twist, and turn without pain and making sure that it is kept in an upright position. The spine is also protected by ligaments, soft tissues, muscles, and spinal columns that make sure that no injuries are affecting the spine. However, when a person overworks their back, it can cause the back muscles to be sustained a variety of injuries like a pulled muscle, slipped spinal disc, herniation, and many others that can cause harm to the spine. Luckily there are many treatments that can help restore the back and spine through non-surgical procedures. Today’s article focuses on spinal osteoarthritis, its symptoms, and how spinal decompression can help individuals alleviate spinal osteoarthritis symptoms. By referring patients to qualified and skilled providers specializing in spinal decompression therapy. To that end, and when appropriate, we advise our patients to refer to our associated medical providers based on their examination. We find that education is the key to asking valuable questions to our providers. Dr. Alex Jimenez DC provides this information as an educational service only. Disclaimer

Can my insurance cover it? Yes, it may. If you are uncertain, here is the link to all the insurance providers we cover. If you have any questions, please call Dr. Jimenez at 915-850-0900.

What Is Spinal Osteoarthritis?

An S-shaped curve in the back known as the spine is encompassed by ligaments, the spinal cord, back muscles from the musculoskeletal system, and spinal discs that help the body with everyday movement and become mobile. Research studies have found that spinal osteoarthritis is a common condition associated with low back pain. However, as the body naturally ages, so does the spine as the spinal discs begin to degenerate and cause inflammation in the spinal joints, known as spinal osteoarthritis. Spinal osteoarthritis can develop gradually over time in the spine, causing a restriction of motion and pain. 

Other research studies have found that low back pain and spinal osteoarthritis are both common and have the process of degeneration in the spine, causing the spinal disc space to be narrow while reducing the spine’s mobility. This causes the facet joints to develop other conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthritis, and gout to pop up and affect the spine.

The Symptoms

When the spine suffers from spinal osteoarthritis, it can cause various painful symptoms that affect a person’s quality of life. Research studies have shown that since spinal osteoarthritis is a gradual condition that is developed over time, it can cause stiffness in the spinal joints when a person is waking up in the morning, then eases throughout the day with physical activity, and flares right back up again at the end of the day. This happens when fluid build-up in the spinal joints can swell and cause inflammation to the spine. Other symptoms that are caused by spinal osteoarthritis can include:

• Stiffness on the back and neck
• Loss of joint flexibility
• Swelling joints due to weather changes
• Tenderness in some regions of the spine
• Creptis (bone rubbing against each other)
• Joint pain

Spinal Decompression For The Spine-Video

Do you feel tenderness around some regions of your back? How about feeling stiff on your lower back or neck? Or the weather seems to be causing swelling on your back? You could be suffering from spinal osteoarthritis, and spinal decompression therapy can help alleviate these symptoms. Spinal decompression therapy can help the spine through traction and gentle stretching. Spinal decompression helps alleviate the spinal disc and joints by slowly increasing their height and alleviating the painful symptoms. This will allow the necessary components like nutrients and oxygen to hydrate the compressed spinal discs and take the pressure off on the nerve roots. When individuals utilize decompression therapy, they can feel instant relief and get back their lives pain-free. Suppose you want to learn more about how decompression therapy can benefit you. In that case, this link will explain what decompression therapy does to the spine and how it can relieve spinal osteoarthritis symptoms.

Spinal Decompression Therapy For Spinal Osteoarthritis

Many treatments can help lower the inflammation that spinal osteoarthritis has caused on the spine, which many people can do and bring back their range of motion. Some people utilize anti-inflammatory supplements like omega-3s and turmeric to lower joint inflammation. Others use massages to relax the tense muscles while also being careful with the spine. In contrast, others use spinal decompression therapy to help alleviate the painful symptoms that spinal osteoarthritis has caused. Research studies have found that the spinal joints and spinal discs affected by spinal osteoarthritis cause a “second inflammatory” symptom. When individuals use spinal decompression, they feel relief. What spinal decompression does is that it lays the individual in a supine position and causes negative pressure on the spine. Other research studies have found that decompression can reduce the stress inside the spinal intervertebral disc and alleviate the painful symptoms that spinal osteoarthritis has caused. This non-surgical treatment provides impressive results for individuals who incorporate this in their wellness journey.

Conclusion

Spinal osteoarthritis causes joint stiffness and swelling in the spine, making a person feel miserable. The spine allows the body to be kept upright and move through various scenarios without causing the body to be in pain. When spinal conditions like spinal osteoarthritis cause inflammation in the spinal joints, it can lead to low back problems for the individual. Spinal decompression can gently stretch the spine and cause the relief to the joints as the necessary nutrients return to the spinal columns and increase the disc height. This will allow many individuals suffering from spinal osteoarthritis to feel instant relief and be pain-free.

References

Choi, Jioun, et al. “Influences of Spinal Decompression Therapy and General Traction Therapy on the Pain, Disability, and Straight Leg Raising of Patients with Intervertebral Disc Herniation.” Journal of Physical Therapy Science, The Society of Physical Therapy Science, Feb. 2015, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4339166/.

Goode, Adam P, et al. “Low Back Pain and Lumbar Spine Osteoarthritis: How Are They Related?” Current Rheumatology Reports, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Feb. 2013, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3606549/.

Kang, Jeong-Il, et al. “Effect of Spinal Decompression on the Lumbar Muscle Activity and Disk Height in Patients with Herniated Intervertebral Disk.” Journal of Physical Therapy Science, The Society of Physical Therapy Science, Nov. 2016, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5140813/.

Lieberman, Daniel. “Symptoms of Arthritis of the Spine.” Spine, Spine-Health, 26 Oct. 2016, www.spine-health.com/conditions/arthritis/symptoms-arthritis-spine.

Lindsey, Thomas, and Alexander M Dydyk. “Spinal Osteoarthritis – Statpearls – NCBI Bookshelf.” StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL), StatPearls Publishing, 12 July 2021, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK553190/.

Disclaimer