Spondylosis: What Spinal Arthritis Actually Means for You
According to Versus Arthritis, over 8.5 million people in the UK were living with osteoarthritis in 2021. Spinal osteoarthritis — known as spondylosis — is one of the most common forms, and one of the most misunderstood.
If you've been told you have spondylosis, this guide explains what it actually means, why it doesn't have to mean a life of pain, and what you can do about it.
Healthy lumbar spine
What is Spondylosis?
Spondylosis describes age related degenerative changes to the vertebrae, discs and joints of the spine. The term comes from the Greek — spondylos meaning vertebra — and refers specifically to arthritic change in the spinal structures rather than a single dramatic injury or event.
It most commonly affects the lumbar spine — the lower back — and the cervical spine — the neck — though it can occur at any spinal level. It can produce local pain and stiffness, and in some cases nerve related symptoms such as pins and needles, numbness or weakness if degenerative changes compress nearby nerve roots.
But here's what matters most — spondylosis on a scan is not a sentence. Many people have significant degenerative changes on imaging and minimal or no symptoms. The scan tells you what's there. It doesn't tell you how much it matters clinically.
What causes Spondylosis?
Spondylosis is primarily an ageing phenomenon — to some degree, most people will develop spinal degenerative changes over time. But several factors influence how quickly and severely it progresses.
Previous disc injury is a significant contributor. Damage to the intervertebral disc — a herniation or annular strain — can trigger a cascade of degenerative change in the surrounding structures, including the facet joints and vertebral endplates.
Repetitive loading and occupational factors play a role too. Sustained or repetitive mechanical stress on the spine over years can accelerate degenerative change, particularly in the lumbar spine.
Genetics also influences the picture — osteophyte formation and disc degeneration both have a hereditary component, meaning some people are simply more susceptible regardless of lifestyle.
What actually happens to the spine?
As the discs lose height and hydration over time — partly why we lose height as we age — the load distribution across the spine changes. More mechanical stress transfers to the facet joints and vertebral endplates. In response, the body lays down new bone in the form of osteophytes — bony spurs that form at the edges of the vertebrae and joints.
This is the body adapting to changed mechanical demands. It's not always pathological. But when these changes narrow the spinal canal or the foramina — the openings through which nerve roots exit the spine — they can compress neural structures and produce symptoms.
Ligaments can be placed under altered mechanical demand as surrounding structures change, contributing to altered spinal mechanics and sometimes instability. Even without direct nerve compression, local inflammation around degenerated structures can sensitise nearby nerves and amplify pain signals.
What does spondylosis feel like?
Symptoms vary considerably depending on which level of the spine is affected and how severely. As with degenerative disc disease, the severity of symptoms doesn't always reflect the extent of changes on imaging — some people with significant spondylosis on MRI have minimal pain, while others with relatively mild changes can be significantly affected.
Stiffness is one of the most common complaints — particularly in the morning or after periods of inactivity. The spine needs movement to warm up and loosen, and spondylosis tends to make that process slower and more uncomfortable.
Local pain and tenderness at the affected spinal level is common, often accompanied by muscle guarding around the area as the body protects the irritated structures.
Pain that eases with movement and worsens with sustained postures — prolonged standing, sitting or holding a position — is a recognisable pattern. Unloading the spine by lying down or changing position often provides relief.
If degenerative changes are compressing nerve roots, symptoms can travel beyond the spine. Lumbar spondylosis can refer pain, pins and needles or numbness into the buttocks and legs. Cervical spondylosis can produce similar symptoms into the arms, and is sometimes associated with non-specific headaches originating at the base of the skull.
In more severe cases where the spinal canal is significantly narrowed — spinal stenosis — walking can become difficult and symptoms may be relieved by sitting or bending forwards, which opens the spinal canal slightly.
Treatment and management
It's important to be clear upfront — treatment cannot reverse arthritic changes to the spine. But it doesn't need to. The goal is to reduce pain, restore movement and build a body that's resilient enough to manage well despite those changes.
Exercise is the single most important intervention. A combination of aerobic activity, targeted strengthening and mobility work has consistently been shown to reduce pain and improve function in people with spondylosis. The spine responds to appropriate load — keeping it moving well slows functional decline and maintains quality of life.
Hands-on osteopathic treatment addresses the movement restrictions and compensatory patterns that develop around degenerative changes. Stiff joints respond well to mobilisation, muscle guarding reduces with soft tissue work, and treating adjacent spinal levels that are compensating for the affected area often produces significant improvements in pain and range of movement.
Load management — understanding which positions and activities consistently aggravate symptoms and modifying them intelligently — is practical, actionable self management that makes a real difference day to day.
In more severe or persistent cases, input from a GP may be appropriate — stronger analgesia, anti-inflammatory medication or in some cases steroid injections can provide meaningful relief alongside conservative treatment.
The reassurance that matters most
Spondylosis is extremely common, frequently visible on scans, and often blamed for pain that has multiple contributing factors. A diagnosis of spondylosis is not a prediction of inevitable decline. It is not a reason to stop being active — in fact, activity is one of the most protective things you can do.
Many people with significant degenerative changes on imaging live full, active, largely pain free lives. Understanding what's actually happening — and addressing it with the right combination of movement, treatment and load management — makes a meaningful difference to how the condition progresses and how much it affects daily life.
If you're based in Manchester or Didsbury and would like to discuss your symptoms, I offer initial appointments at Holland Osteopathy — book online below.