Spinal Spurs

 

If you regularly struggle with back and neck pain, spinal spurs may be to blame. These nubs of bone commonly develop in vertebrae as people reach middle age, and although many of them are harmless, they can put increased pressure on soft tissues and interfere with the spinal column’s integrity. At ACT Wellness Center in Woodbridge, our quality of life specialists provide a variety of non-invasive, non-addictive treatments for back pain, including helping people to live more comfortably with bone spurs without the need for surgery.

Bones are living tissue, and as such, they are constantly breaking down and regrowing. But there are certain conditions in which bones are more likely to grow back mishapenly, such as when they are exposed to inflammation or a bone needs more surface area to distribute its weight. One of the conditions that puts people at high risk for developing bone spurs is osteoarthritis. As the cartilage cushioning and lubricating their facet joints degenerates, the interlocking portions of their vertebrae grind into each other and develop spurs. People are also more likely to develop bone spurs when they have degenerative disc disease, meaning that the spongy discs between their vertebrae are losing water. As the ligaments connecting to the vertebrae become more strained due to the discs’ inability to bear their share of the weight, the ligaments become inflamed and spurs develop where the ligaments attach to bones.

Spurs may put pressure on nearby arteries and nerve roots and stretch muscles that are already overly tight. People with spinal spurs sometimes feel a dull, aching pain, but may find it gets better when they bend down. Spurs may appear on images such as x-rays, but we would want to perform range-of-motion tests before determining that they are the cause of the patients’ pain. If we determine they are, we may provide chiropractic adjustments to realign the patient’s joints and provide anti-inflammatory treatments such as low level laser therapy. Patients would also need to engage in therapeutic exercises to increase their back muscles’ flexibility, making spinal spurs less of a strain on them.

If you suffer from persistent back or neck pain, you may be a good candidate for chiropractic treatment. Visit Dr. Carmelino Caratozzolo at ACT Wellness Center, 14111 Minnieville Road, Woodbridge, Virginia. Call 703-491-9355.