What is Lumbar Spondylosis? Causes, Diagnosis, & Treatment

Lumbar spondylosis is a degenerative condition affecting the lower back. It often arises from age-related wear and tear on the vertebrae, discs, and facet joints in your spine.

Over time, these structures can weaken or become damaged, leading to lower back pain, stiffness, and other complications.

Whether you are already experiencing discomfort or simply want to understand the basics, gaining clear insight into lumbar spondylosis can help you make informed decisions about prevention and treatment.

Understand Lumbar Spondylosis

Lumbar spondylosis refers to degenerative changes in your lower back. It is sometimes called spinal osteoarthritis or degenerative disc disease, although these terms can also overlap with other conditions.

According to UTHealth Neurosciences, the process of degeneration typically involves:

• Reduction in disc height and elasticity  
• Formation of bone spurs (osteophytes) on the vertebrae  
• Possible narrowing of the spinal canal or nerve foramina  

These changes do not always cause pain, and many people remain unaware they have lumbar spondylosis. However, when symptoms appear, they often manifest as lower back pain, stiffness, or nerve compression issues such as sciatica.

This condition can also contribute to other spinal problems, including facet joint syndrome and facet arthropathy.

If your facet joints undergo similar degenerative changes, you might develop facet joint pain or facet joint arthritis.

Identify Key Causes

The primary cause of lumbar spondylosis is the natural aging process. You may notice more pronounced symptoms as you grow older because, with each passing year, the protective structures in your spine become more vulnerable to damage.

Several risk factors can speed up or worsen lumbar spondylosis:

• Repetitive Stress: Jobs or sports that involve lifting, twisting, or bending can place repeated stress on the spinal discs and joints.  
• Injuries or Trauma: A past spinal fracture or back injury could weaken structures in your lumbar spine over time.  
• Obesity: Additional weight increases strain on the lower back, potentially accelerating disc and facet joint degeneration.  
• Genetics: If your family has a history of degenerative spinal conditions like facet degeneration or spondylosis, you may be more susceptible.  
• Poor Posture: Slouching or sitting for prolonged periods with minimal lower back support may place extra load on both discs and facet joints.

Although you cannot control hereditary or age-related changes, you can influence many of the other contributors to slow the progression of lumbar spondylosis.

Recognize The Symptoms

Many individuals with lumbar spondylosis do not experience any noticeable discomfort. In fact, Medscape estimates that roughly 27%-37% of people with lumbar spondylosis remain symptom-free.

However, if symptoms emerge, you might encounter:

• Low Back Pain: A dull, persistent ache or sharp pain, especially after prolonged sitting or standing.  
• Stiffness: Morning stiffness that eases as you move around, yet returns after periods of inactivity.  
• Radiating Leg Pain: Nerve compression or inflammation can trigger sciatica, with pain traveling from your lower back down your leg. This may reflect radiculopathy, where spinal nerves are compromised.  
• Tingling or Weakness: Some people report numbness, tingling, or muscle weakness in their thighs, calves, or feet, particularly when a herniated disc or bone spur compresses a nerve root.  
• Trouble Walking: Severe nerve compression may lead to neurogenic claudication, causing heaviness or weakness in your legs during walking that eases when you sit or bend forward.

While these symptoms often overlap with other spinal disorders, a thorough evaluation by a medical professional helps pinpoint the exact cause.

Explore Diagnosis Methods

When you visit your healthcare provider, they will typically perform a comprehensive assessment to confirm whether lumbar spondylosis is responsible for your discomfort.

Common diagnostic steps include:

Medical History and Physical Exam

‍Your doctor will ask about your pain levels, daily habits, and any history of spinal trauma. They will also check for areas of tenderness, range of motion, and nerve or muscle function in your lower extremities.

Imaging Tests  

• X-rays: Reveal changes in your bones such as bone spurs and disc space narrowing.  
• MRI: Provides a more detailed look at soft tissues, including discs, nerves, and facet joints.  
• CT Scans: Rotary imaging that can give additional clarity on bony structures and nerve pathways.  

Imaging is often recommended only if your symptoms persist for six to 12 weeks or if there are signs of serious nerve compromise.'

Additional Assessments

‍Sometimes specialists use further tests, such as nerve conduction studies or diagnostic injections, to determine the precise source of your pain.

For instance, an ultrasound guided facet injection may help isolate whether your facet joints are contributing to the discomfort.

Accurate diagnosis drives your treatment plan. If your physician identifies substantial nerve compression or instability, they will tailor therapies to address those specific concerns.

Consider Treatment Options

Most cases of lumbar spondylosis respond to conservative (nonsurgical) strategies. Your treatment plan may evolve over time, especially if symptoms worsen or fail to improve.

Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting a new exercise or treatment regimen for your back pain.

Here are common interventions:

Physical Therapy and Exercise

Targeted exercises aim to strengthen the muscles supporting your spine, enhance flexibility, and reduce stress on degenerating discs and facet joints.

Physical therapists may combine manual techniques, stretching, and core exercises to lessen pain. For instance, a therapist might recommend avoiding certain movements known to aggravate facet joint pain exercises to avoid.

Following a structured regimen builds resilience and can slow further deterioration.

Medication

• Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs): Common first-line treatments to ease inflammation and reduce discomfort.  
• Analgesics: Over-the-counter or prescription pain relievers to ease moderate or severe pain.  
• Muscle Relaxants: May help reduce muscle spasms, often used short-term.  
• Injections: Epidural steroid injections can alleviate inflammation around nerve roots, while facet joint injections target inflamed joint capsules.

Lifestyle Adjustments

Simple habit changes can play a vital role in pain management. Maintaining a healthy weight, improving posture, taking regular stretch breaks, and using ergonomic furniture all help reduce strain on your lower back. You may also consider low-impact exercises like swimming or cycling to stay active while minimizing stress on your spine.

Bracing and Support

Some individuals find relief with a back brace or support belt. These devices limit excessive spine movement and can decrease pressure on unstable segments.

However, prolonged or inappropriate use of bracing can weaken core muscles, so it is typically a short-term measure.

Surgery

Surgery is usually reserved for severe cases, such as when nerve compression causes debilitating pain or significant mobility issues.

These procedures can include:

• Discectomy or Laminectomy: Leads to decompression of pinched nerves.  
• Spinal Fusion: Stabilizes the spine by fusing two or more vertebrae, often used for spondylolisthesis or when more than 50% slippage is observed.  
• Motion-Preserving Procedures: Lumbar disc replacement may be an option for certain patients to maintain better spinal mobility.

If you do require a surgical procedure, your physician might recommend other minimally invasive spine procedures to reduce tissue damage, lower complication risks, and shorten recovery time.

Manage Your Long-Term Care

Even after your symptoms improve, ongoing care is essential for preventing flare-ups and slowing the progression of lumbar spondylosis.

Because this condition involves age-related changes in the spine, consistent lifestyle habits and early attention to new symptoms can make a meaningful difference.

• Stay Active With Low-Impact Movement
  Activities like walking, swimming, or light cycling maintain joint mobility, support disc hydration, and prevent the stiffness that often worsens pain. Avoid long periods of bed rest, which weaken supporting muscles and increase discomfort over time.
• Strengthen Core, Hip, and Back Muscles
  Building strength in your core and surrounding muscle groups reduces the load on the lumbar joints. Focused exercises—often guided by a physical therapist—improve your spine’s stability and help prevent recurrent flare-ups.
• Improve Flexibility With Gentle Stretching
  Daily stretches for the hamstrings, hips, and lower back ease tightness and reduce the tension that contributes to nerve irritation. Consistent flexibility work also supports better posture and smoother movement.
• Optimize Posture and Ergonomics
  Using an ergonomic chair, supporting your lower back, and keeping screens at eye level prevent slouching and decrease long-term strain on lumbar vertebrae. Standing with shoulders back and weight evenly distributed also supports a healthier spinal curve.
• Use Symptom-Relief Techniques Wisely
  Heat, ice, massage, and occasional pain relievers can help during mild flare-ups. Some people benefit from short-term supportive bracing when recommended by a healthcare professional, especially during periods of increased discomfort.
• Monitor Symptoms and Seek Care Promptly
  New or worsening numbness, tingling, or leg weakness may indicate radiculopathy from nerve compression. Regular check-ins with your healthcare provider—and timely referrals to spine specialists when needed—help prevent complications and determine if more advanced treatments may be appropriate.

When your pain does not improve with conservative methods, a spine specialist can determine whether more advanced approaches, such as prolotherapy or facet joint regeneration, might be helpful in your situation.

When it comes to lumbar spondylosis, a proactive approach is often the key to relief and future well-being. Early intervention, whether through home-based tactics or professional therapies, can prevent minor discomfort from escalating into chronic pain.

By recognizing early signs, exploring your treatment options, and staying vigilant about long-term management, you can maximize your mobility and minimize flare-ups.

Seek RELIEF®

RELIEF® is an evidence-backed, minimally invasive treatment designed to target dysfunctional fascia and irritated soft tissues surrounding the spinal structures—especially the facet joint capsules that help stabilize and guide spinal movement.¹

When these fascial layers become inflamed or adhered from degenerative arthritis, repetitive strain, or injury, they can restrict spinal motion and increase mechanical pressure on the facet joints and nearby nerves; contributing to chronic back or neck pain.^2,3 

Using a minimally-invasive hydrodissection technique, RELIEF® gently separates and releases adhered fascia and may help restore healthy tissue mobility around the facet joints, and reduces mechanical irritation in the spinal motion segment—without steroids, surgery, anesthesia, or prolonged downtime^.4,5,6

If you’re in the Miami area and experiencing facet joint pain, spinal arthritis, or other spine-related mobility limitations, contact us today to learn how RELIEF® may help restore comfort, spinal motion, and overall functional recovery.