As you age, you’re increasingly likely to be affected by osteoarthritis (OA). This type of arthritis is the most common in adults in the United States, causing deterioration in your bones and joints. OA can cause damage to the bones and joints in your spine and may result in spinal conditions like spinal stenosis.
May is Arthritis Awareness Month. Do you know the facts about how arthritis can affect your spine? When you have the information you need, you can take steps to protect your spinal health from the impacts of arthritis.
At Performance Pain & Sports Medicine, our team of providers, led by Dr. Matthias Wiederholz and Dr. Suzanne Manzi, are experts in the link between osteoarthritis and spinal stenosis. We diagnose and treat spinal stenosis from our locations in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, and Houston and League City, Texas.
Here’s what you need to know about arthritis and spinal stenosis.
Osteoarthritis and your spinal risks
Osteoarthritis can affect any area of your body. If OA impacts your spine, you’re more likely to notice issues as you move into middle age, after about the age of 50. Women have a higher risk of osteoarthritis and related spinal damage than men.
If your spinal bones and joints are damaged by OA, spinal stenosis can result. OA is actually the most common cause of lumbar spinal stenosis, affecting your lower back.
Spinal stenosis occurs when your spinal canal narrows. This can include narrowing of the space at the center of your spine, the spaces between your spinal bones, or the areas of your spinal canal where nerves branch off to other areas of your body.
If you develop spinal stenosis, it can become a problem in several ways. Notably, spinal stenosis can result in painful or debilitating compression of your spinal nerves. Your symptoms often vary based on the area of your spine that’s most affected by narrowing, with lumbar spinal stenosis resulting in low back pain, and cervical spinal stenosis causing neck-related symptoms.
When you’re affected by spinal stenosis, you need accurate diagnosis and support. While OA can’t be cured, spinal stenosis can be effectively treated and potentially even prevented.
Treating your OA-related spinal stenosis
The interventional pain management specialists and anti-aging and regenerative medicine experts at Performance Pain & Sports Medicine can help with spinal stenosis, saving you from neck and low back pain.
Our team evaluates and diagnoses spinal stenosis, and recommends the right treatment plan for you. We use state-of-the-art medical imaging technology, including X-rays, computerized tomography (CT) scans, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to confirm your condition and diagnosis.
Your provider recommends the most conservative treatment plan that will work for your condition. Treatments for spinal stenosis include weight loss, physical therapy, medication management, and surgery. Regenerative therapies like platelet-rich plasma (PRP) may also improve your symptoms and condition.
For the support you need to deal with OA-related spinal stenosis, contact our team at Performance Pain & Sports Medicine today. Schedule your initial consultation appointment by contacting us online, or call our location most convenient to you.
