Spinal Arthropathies

Spinal arthropathy means disease of the joints of the spine, or in simple words, arthritis of the spine. The spine has many small joints that allow it to bend and twist, and like the knee or hip, these joints can get damaged or inflamed. Spinal arthropathies are mainly of two types. The first is degenerative arthritis, caused by wear and tear with age, which affects the facet joints and discs. The second is inflammatory arthritis, where the body’s immune system attacks the spine joints, as seen in ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis and related conditions.

Both types can cause long standing back or neck pain and stiffness, but they behave differently and need different care. Wear and tear arthritis is more common after the age of 40 and often gets worse with activity, while inflammatory arthritis usually starts before 40 and causes morning stiffness that gets better with movement. At SpineArc, Dr. Tanmay Avhad identifies the type and source of your spine arthritis, treats pain with precise image-guided procedures, manages nerve pressure or fractures when they happen, and works with rheumatologists when medical treatment for inflammatory arthritis is needed.

Symptoms

The symptoms of spinal arthropathy depend on the type and the part of the spine involved. Common symptoms include:

Long standing pain and stiffness in the lower back, neck or mid back.

Morning stiffness lasting more than 30 minutes, which is common in inflammatory arthritis.

Pain that improves with exercise and becomes worse with rest (inflammatory type), or pain that becomes worse with activity (wear and tear type).

Pain in the buttocks, often switching from one side to the other.

Reduced ability to bend, turn the neck or take a deep breath in advanced cases.

Pain, numbness or weakness in the arms or legs if bone spurs press on the nerves.

Causes

Spinal arthropathies can happen due to wear and tear or inflammation. Common causes include:

Age related wear and tear of the facet joints and discs (spondylosis).

Bone spur formation that narrows the space for nerves.

Ankylosing spondylitis, where inflammation can slowly fuse the spine bones.

Psoriatic arthritis, linked with the skin condition psoriasis.

Arthritis linked with bowel conditions like Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis.

Reactive arthritis after certain infections.

Old spine injuries or repeated strain that speed up joint damage.

Diagnosis & Treatment

To treat spinal arthropathy the right way, the type of arthritis and the exact pain source must be found first. At SpineArc, diagnosis and treatment follow a step by step approach:

Detailed physical check to study the pain pattern, morning stiffness, spine movement, chest expansion and nerve function.
Imaging tests like X-ray, MRI and CT scan to look at the spine joints, SI joints, bone spurs and nerve pressure.
Blood tests like HLA-B27, ESR and CRP when inflammatory arthritis is suspected.
Medicines and physiotherapy, including anti inflammatory medicines and regular exercises to keep the spine flexible and strong. For inflammatory arthritis, long term medicines are planned along with a rheumatologist.
Image-guided spine injections, like facet joint injections, SI joint injections and nerve root blocks, to reduce pain from specific joints or nerves.
Endoscopic decompression when bone spurs or thickened ligaments press on the nerves and cause leg or arm symptoms.
Spine fixation or fusion in selected cases, like spine fractures in a stiff spine or an unstable spine.

Risk Factors

Some people are more likely to get spinal arthropathy. Knowing these factors can help you take early care:

Age

Wear and tear arthritis becomes more common after the age of 40.

Family history and genes

Inflammatory arthritis like ankylosing spondylitis is linked with the HLA-B27 gene and runs in families.

Gender

Ankylosing spondylitis is more common in young men.

Related conditions

Psoriasis and inflammatory bowel disease increase the risk of inflammatory spine arthritis.

Past injury and heavy work

Old spine injuries and years of heavy lifting speed up joint wear.

You Deserve a Life Without Spine Arthritis Pain

Get the right diagnosis and advanced spinal arthropathy treatment in Mumbai from Dr. Tanmay Avhad at 4 hospitals across the city. Available 6 days a week, book your consultation today.

GOT QUESTIONS?

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about spinal arthropathy treatment in Mumbai, answered simply by Dr. Tanmay Avhad.

What is spinal arthropathy?

Spinal arthropathy means arthritis or disease of the joints of the spine. It can be due to wear and tear with age or due to inflammation, like in ankylosing spondylitis.

How do I know if my back pain is inflammatory?

Inflammatory back pain usually starts before 40, comes on slowly, causes morning stiffness for more than 30 minutes, and feels better with exercise but worse with rest.

What is ankylosing spondylitis?

It is a long term inflammatory arthritis that mainly affects the spine and SI joints. Over time, it can make the spine stiff and, in some cases, cause the spine bones to fuse.

Can spinal arthritis be treated without surgery?

Yes. Most patients are treated with medicines, regular exercise, physiotherapy and image-guided injections. Surgery is needed only for nerve pressure, fractures or instability.

Why is a fall risky for people with ankylosing spondylitis?

In ankylosing spondylitis, the spine becomes stiff and brittle, so even a small fall can cause a spine fracture. Any new back pain after a fall should be checked quickly.

How can I book an appointment for spinal arthropathy treatment?

You can call +91 79779 26003 or +91 99203 97922, send a WhatsApp message, or fill the form on this website. Our team will call you to confirm your time and hospital.

Where does Dr. Tanmay Avhad consult in Mumbai?

Dr. Tanmay consults at 6 hospitals in Mumbai:

Sphere Multispeciality Clinic, Dadar East, Mumbai (Mon, Wed & Fri – 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM)
Aryan Multispeciality Hospital, Kalachowki (Mon, Wed & Fri – 5PM to 6PM)
Life Care Hospital, Sion (Tue, Thu & Sat – 5PM to 6PM)
Lion Tarachand Bapa Hospital, Sion, Mumbai (Tue, Thu & Sat – 6:30PM to 7:30PM)
Sushrut Hospital and Research Centre, Chembur (Tue, Thu & Sat – 8PM to 9PM)
Gleneagles Hospital, Parel