Spondylosis and Spondylitis

What is Spondylosis and Spondylitis?

These two terms sound similar but describe different problems. Spondylosis is degeneration: the gradual wear of the discs, facet joints, and ligaments of the spine that becomes very common after middle age. Spondylitis is inflammation of the spinal joints and the structures around them.

An important point about spondylosis is that the degenerative changes seen on a scan do not always cause pain. Many people have significant wear on imaging with no symptoms at all. This is why a scan alone rarely tells us what is generating the pain.

Spondylitis, by contrast, is inflammatory. It can be driven by conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis, and the pain pattern is often worse at rest and in the morning. Telling the two apart matters, because treatment differs depending on whether the problem is wear or inflammation.

Symptoms

• Persistent back or neck pain and stiffness
• Stiffness that is worse in the morning or after rest
• Pain that may improve with gentle movement
• Reduced range of motion in the spine
• Pain or tingling spreading to an arm or leg if a nerve root is involved
• Muscle tightness around the affected area

How We Treat It

Because imaging changes do not reliably point to the pain source, we start with diagnostic interventional procedures. By blocking the nerve supply to one structure at a time, such as a facet joint, we confirm which structure is actually generating your pain before we treat it. This avoids treating changes that are not causing symptoms.

Once the source is confirmed, steroid injections settle inflammation around the joint or nerve root and create room for rehabilitation. Where facet joint pain returns after injections give temporary relief, radiofrequency ablation provides longer-lasting control. Diagnostic nerve blocks also guide us when a compressed nerve root is the main driver. Throughout, we combine these procedures with exercise to strengthen the muscles that support the spine.