Osteoarthritis of the spine

Do you have osteoarthritis of the spine? Or perhaps a severe disc prolapse? Then spinal fusion surgery is sometimes the best and only solution to reduce the pain. Read about the symptoms of osteoarthritis and how we ensure you safe treatment.

Back pain affects virtually everyone at some point in life. Fortunately, back pain is usually not dangerous, and it often goes away on its own. 

But at other times the pain can persist, which can be incredibly burdensome for you in your daily life. Perhaps you yourself experience pain and stiffness in the lower back when you start to move? The cause may be a so-called degenerative spinal disease – for example spinal stenosis and spondylarthrosis, which in everyday language is also called “osteoarthritis of the spine”.

Treatment can be conservative with physiotherapy, but you may also need spinal fusion surgery. We have extensive experience in both. At CPH Privathospital we have dedicated consultant specialists and professionals who are up to date with the latest knowledge and with a good deal of experience behind them. 

Here you can therefore receive professional surgery, treatment and rehabilitation for osteoarthritis of the spine. Do you have questions about our pathway, or do you wish to have your symptoms of osteoarthritis examined more closely? Contact us for examination or treatment here.

Why do you get osteoarthritis of the spine?

With osteoarthritis of the spine, cartilage and tissue around the joints are gradually destroyed. Symptoms can for example be soreness and stiffness in the lower back, possibly also in the back and neck, when you move them, or after you have rested. 

There can be several causes of arthritis of the spine; for example weak muscles and heavy loading of joints over time can be among them. Often it is age-related wear that develops slowly over time, but the changes can also be congenital or due to late effects after a spinal injury.

Your spine consists among other things of individual vertebrae, which form joints to each other through the intervertebral disc, discus, and through two facet joints. In these joints changes can develop over time, which cause pain when you move or have rested. It can affect both your functional pain, mobility and quality of life.

A spinal fusion operation – also called a stabilising spine operation – can often help and reduce the pain. The operation does not completely eliminate the problem. However, it can help you regain your quality of life. Read more about our spine surgery procedures, where you can also receive treatment for, among other things, lumbar disc herniation.

Recognise symptoms of osteoarthritis in the spine

You may not necessarily experience signs of osteoarthritis. However, both spondylolisthesis and osteoarthritis contribute to chronic pain in the lower back, and in many cases the pain radiates into the legs. This is partly because the nerves in the back do not have the space they normally have under normal circumstances.

Therefore, many people experience the symptoms as discomfort and stiffness in the body. If there is also pressure on a nerve, you will experience pain in the back and often also in the legs, so that you cannot walk as far at a time.

You may also find that the pain is worst when the affected joint has to start moving after a rest, but that your pain disappears once the joint has warmed up. The pain also typically returns if the joint becomes overloaded.

The following symptoms may be signs of spondylolisthesis or osteoarthritis in the spine:

• Pain in the lower back
• Pain radiating down into the legs
• Heavy and tired legs when walking
• Reduced walking distance
• Relief when bending forward

Are you experiencing one or more of the above symptoms? If so, we recommend that you contact a doctor specialising in spinal disorders. This way you can better identify the cause of your pain and receive the right treatment.

A spinal fusion operation by experienced specialist doctors

Some of us can live perfectly well with osteoarthritis, while others experience severe pain.

If you tend more towards the latter, you may therefore need a spinal fusion operation. With this procedure, our specialists attempt to stabilise a larger or smaller part of the spine, so that you can reduce your persistent back pain.

The operation is performed under general anaesthesia, where our experienced surgeon makes an incision over what are called the spinous processes in the lower back. During the operation, the surgeon removes the spinous process and the vertebral arch on the vertebrae that have slipped apart. This creates space in the spinal canal and for the nerve roots. Finally, screws and rods may be inserted between the vertebrae to further stabilise the spine.

However, the surgeon will go through all of this carefully with you in connection with the preliminary examination and planning of the course of treatment.

At CPH Privathospital, we take time for personal dialogue. We want you to feel safe before, during and after the spinal fusion operation. In addition, the same experienced consultant will follow you throughout the entire pathway. Read more about our speciality in spine surgery procedures here.