SPONDYLITIS VS SPONDLYLOSIS
Spondylitis, spondylosis, spondylolisthesis, and spondylolysis
Conditions that affect your spine have similar names, which can be confusing. Here are two other conditions you may come across: SPONDYLITIS and SPONDLYLOSIS
Both terms are misused and misunderstood by many. Read the full page to clear all doubts.
What is Spondylitis?
Spondylitis is a group of chronic inflammatory diseases that affect mainly the spine and sacroiliac joints. It causes pain, stiffness, and sometimes bone fusion, reducing flexibility and leading to a curved spine in severe cases.
What is Spondylosis?
Spondylosis is a general term that refers to age-related wear and tear of the spine. Most common in the neck (Cervical Spondylosis) and lower back (Lumbar Spondylosis)
Causes can be –
- Natural aging
- Repeated minor injuries or strain
- Poor posture over time
- Genetics (family history)
Spondylitis vs. Spondylosis
The immune system attacks the spine’s joints; often starts in teens or young adults. You may be more likely to develop it if you carry the HLA-B27 gene.
Age-related wear-and-tear arthritis, common after age 60.
Types of Spondylitis
- Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS): Stiffness, back pain, usually starting young.
- Reactive Arthritis: Joint pain after infections, sometimes with eye or urinary issues.
- Psoriatic Arthritis: Joint and skin involvement, linked to psoriasis.
- Enteropathic Arthritis: Joint pain in people with Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis.
- Juvenile Spondyloarthritis: Starts in children under 16.
- Undifferentiated Spondyloarthritis: Mixed symptoms that don’t fit a specific category.
Do symptoms differ between spondylitis and spondylosis?
Spondylitis and spondylosis often have similar symptoms. Common symptoms include: pain stiffness fatigue Spondylitis causes inflammation, which can result in swelling, a change in skin color, and warm joints.
Different types of spondylitis may affect your other body systems. Depending on the type, you may also experience: swelling of your fingers and toes (dactylitis) eye inflammation (uveitis) enthesitis diarrhea People with Cervical Spondylosis may experience neck pain that may spread to their head or shoulders and hand too. They may also develop headaches, neck stiffness, and muscle spasms. With lumbar spondylosis, pain may radiate down to your legs.
Take Away
Spondylitis and spondylosis both affect your spine but have different causes and tend to affect different populations.
Spondylitis is an umbrella term for a group of inflammatory conditions that affect your spine and joints. The most common is AS. Symptoms typically develop in early adulthood.
Spondylosis is osteoarthritis of your spine due to wear and tear. It’s more common for older adults to experience pain from spondylosis.
Medication, physical therapy, and exercise may help improve symptoms of either condition.
