“Can I ask you about spondylosis please? I’ve had an MRI and was told I had this by one consultant on my next visit it was wear and tear (different consultant) I asked about pain management but didn’t really get an answer. I’ve been Dr googling and it says spondylosis is a type of arthritis. Could you explain it a bit better to me!?”
Stop Dr. Googling. Mostly because it will lead you to quackery offering ridiculous “cures” and treatments. I often “Dr. Google” queries to see what my patients are seeing. Not good. Not good. [Pro-tip: If there are multiple misspellings on a website and no credentials listed, do not let that person near you with a laser.]
“Spondylosis” is not a diagnosis but a term that refers to a “wear and tear”, or degenerative changes in the vertebrae/joints between your vertebrae, where a bone connects one facet joint to another. Arthritis is a term that refers to either inflammation or degenerative (“wear and tear”) of any joint. It often causes no symptoms, and is commonly found on xrays in patients with no symptoms and increases with age to be seen in over 85% of patients over 60. In patients who have low back pain symptoms and spondylosis, most settle down on their own. The most commonly recommended treatment options for symptomatic spondylosis usually includes physiotherapy. Spondylosis can also be associated with other degenerative (wear and tear) conditions of the neck or lower back that may require different treatment.
Spondylolysis is when there is a defect in “pars interarticularis”, the best way to understand that is that it like a hair line crack in a part of the bone the forms the facet joint. Again, commonly found on lower spine xrays but doesn’t always cause symptoms. It is found in about 6% of the population with no symptoms.
If this defect or another similar type of injury or spinal abnormality allows the vertebrae to slip over each other abnormally, this is called spondylolisthesis.
Spondylitis means inflammation of the joints in the spine. Sometimes, it is a particular condition called “Ankylosing spondylitis” This website has good information if you are curious on reading more about that. https://www.arthritisireland.ie/…/ankylosing_spondylitis
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