Common disorders of the spine causing back pain
Conditions causing back pain
- Spinal osteoarthritis – also called spondylosis
- Spinal stenosis
- Degenerative disc disorders
- Spondylolisthesis
- Sciatica
- Scoliosis
- Cauda equina syndrome
- Piriformis syndrome
- Coccydynia
- Osteoporosis
- Infections of the spine
- Tumors of the spine
- Ankylosing spondylitis
- Endometriosis
- Fibromyalgia
- Referred pain
Medical purists may argue that there are a few causes that I have omitted. I have done
this deliberately since these are quite rare and I have no intention of making you a
spinal orthopod. Let’s move on hurriedly before you get glassy-eyed to see what each
one of these conditions does to the spine and how they should be diagnosed and treated.
Osteoarthritis of the spine
Osteoarthritis of the spine is also called as spondylosis. In spinal osteoarthritis, the
smooth cartilage (spongy tissue) coating the facet joints of the spine gradually
deteriorates. The bones of the joints can’t move smoothly over roughened cartilage,
causing irritation and damage to the bone. The prevalence increases with age and most
people over 60 will have some radiological evidence of it. Osteoarthritis is less common