The Aging Spine: Older Does Not Have To Mean Painful

Time, old injuries and bad habits take their toll on the spine as you age. But new treatments and better diagnostic tests can help keep back pain under control and improve function throughout an entire lifetime. There are several diseases that can lead to low back pain in the aging spine including disc degeneration, lumbar spinal stenosis and spondylolisthesis (displacement of a vertebra by the one above it). The spine goes through the aging process just like any other part of the body.

Many of these conditions reduce the quality of life and patients tend to just accept them as a consequence of getting older; however, there are many options which begin with correct diagnosis and treatment. A patient is never 'too old' to undergo surgery, but the general medical condition may make surgery more risky. Aggressive, non-surgical treatment should always be considered before resorting to surgery unless there is a severe impending neurological crisis.