Spinal Osteoarthritis What is spinal osteoarthritis? Spinal osteoarthritis is the deterioration of cartilage within the disc in the lower portion of the back causing pain and swelling. Typically, this breakdown in the spine is caused by a genetic defect or injury. What are the symptoms of spinal osteoarthritis? Osteoarthritis of the spine can cause stiffness, loss of feeling, lack of mobility, tenderness, tingling, and issues with flexibility. How do we treat spinal osteoarthritis? Our team starts by determining what the root cause of your back pain is. Once we identify the root cause of the spinal discomfort we strengthen and stretch the muscles to take pressure off your spine and correct any compensation patterns that we notice.