Arthritis is a disease, not an injury. Though injured joints can develop arthritis, the joints do not need to be injured to contract arthritis.
There are two kinds of arthritis:
Osteoarthritis (
http://www.about-osteoarthritis.co.uk/)
Rheumatoid Arthritis (
http://www.arthritis.org/conditions/DiseaseCenter/ra.asp) This one is where the body attacks itself, harming healthy tissue. ( trust me, I know this one well)
The later can affect more than just bones and joints.
Humans are poorly designed actually, we have these huge heavy heads balanced on thin spinal columns, further, we stand on two legs instead of all fours. Thus our necks and backs are far weaker than we imagine, and these areas are more susceptible to injury and disease.
You can do some injury by just turning your torso without holding anything heavy - you can, just by bending over wrong, pinch a nerve. There does not have to be any significant accident to cause injury.
The older we get the more fragile our backs and necks become. If we do not have strong muscles supporting these, we are more prone to injury. (Not only stong back muscles but strong abdominals are key to preventing back injury)
With the addition of Osteoporosis your whole spinal column can be weakened if only one vertebrae is weakened.
Treatment depends on the extend of the injury and the limitations the injury has caused.
Mind surgery comes with it's perils. Sometimes the best treatment is to do nothing at all.
My partner blew a disk in his neck several years ago, he had no other choice but to get operation. Sadly since then he has been limited on movement of the neck and the activities he can do. Pain and stiffness flares up every once in a while.
The doctors will try lesser therapies first (The present treatment is the easiest therapy) they will try more aggressive therapies before they go for surgery, unless you have completely blown the disk then they will have no choice but to operate.
Since Arthritis is part of the question the doctors may have to consider their next move carefully. Also, with a history of Osteoporosis they may be more reluctant to open you up and start repairing and possibly fusing bone together. To do so today may close a change later down the road where another surgery due to these other problems can be used. There is a limitation to the number of surgeries that can be performed on the human body in a single location.
I would strongly urge you to talk more with your doctor, write down at home the list of concerns you have. The Doctor may be busy, but they have to answer your questions. Being prepared when you walk into the office with a list will assure that you ask questions.
After years of dealing with my neurologist I learned real quick that note books and even taking notes went a long way in helping me to understand what was going on. I even took the next step and recorded our conversations - again, the information was important to me.
Your doctor will discuss with you all the alternatives, and will address all of your questions. You may also want to ask the doctor what things you should keep track of and note for him/her for your next visit.
Doctors do appreciate patients who come in with a little more information than just 'I hurt.' Knowing what kind of pain, when it flares up, what activities cause more or less goes a long way in helping the doctors to diagnose us with out having to order so many costly tests and pictures.
Cheers
David
