Spinal arthritis is a difficult medical condition to deal with and the patient suffering from it understands how arthritis spine pain can slowly and steadily destroy the normal semblance of life. This problem needs proper medical care and treatment so that the patient can get back to a more regular life and his/her problem does not get worse overtime. Initially, your doctor may recommend non-surgical arthritis treatment as an alternative to spinal surgery.
Alternative Treatments for Spinal Arthritis
Spinal arthritis does not have one single test that can confirm the presence of this medical condition in a patient. The usual diagnosis starts with a thorough medical examination and a full study of the patient’s medical history. The doctors study the symptoms that the patient is suffering from like pain, signs of injury to tissues, tenderness or loss of motion. Diagnosis tests for spinal arthritis include X-ray, blood tests, Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as well as CAT scan.
After getting the full diagnosis of the problem doctors select a treatment option from alternative treatment methods that may include physical therapy, exercise as well as medication.
Non-Surgical Arthritis Treatment
Almost all the spinal injuries doctors go for non-surgical treatment options for spinal arthritis initially and only take up spine surgery as the last way.
Doctors decide on a non-surgical treatment option which can include physical therapy, exercise and medications or all of them combined, depending upon the condition of the patient.
Exercises for spinal arthritis include three main categories that include aerobic exercise, strengthening exercise as well as range-of-motion exercises. Usually doctors decide on an exercise program depending upon the condition of the patient so that the patient does not aggravate his problem instead of smoothing it out.
Physical therapy, acupuncture, massages, cold and hot compression and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) are other major non-surgical treatment options for spinal arthritis.
Medications like NSAIDs, pain killers, anti depressants, muscle relaxants are also recommended doctors to help patients suffering from spinal arthritis.