Spondylosis, Spondylitis, Spondylolysis, and Spondylolisthesis are structural conditions that affect the alignment and integrity of the bony parts of the human spine. Spondy- conditions typically occur in the lower back, but due to the lifetime strain, ongoing loading and physical activities, as well as the effect of age- and disease-related deterioration, it is possible for Spondy- conditions to affect other segments of the spine as well. Spondylitis, Spondylosis, Spondylolisis and Spondylolisthesis are distinct conditions that happen to affect similar areas in the human back.
Spondylitis
Spondylitis is an umbrella term that includes different kinds of inflammatory arthritis. Arthritis is the swelling and inflammation of tissues in and around joints, and so worsening episodes of spondylitis can often go un-diagnosed or otherwise diagnosed as back pain. In population‑based cohorts, inflammatory spondyloarthropathies demonstrate a prevalence ranging from 0.2% to 1.6% globally (Sen et. al., 2023). This reinforces a key message: early inflammatory change is often subtle, but its long‑term impact can be significant. The symptoms of Spondylitis are similar to those experienced in mechanical lower back pain, and so accurate diagnosis of the issue may take time, review with other medical professionals, and imaging of the spine to rule out more serious or other pathological causes.
Spondylosis
Spondylosis is similar to spondylitis, being a type of arthritis. However, whily spondylitis develops as a consequence of an autoimmune condition, spondylosis develops due to normal wear and time-based use of the intervertebral discs and the spine as part of ageing. In a large Japanese cohort, radiographic lumbar spondylosis was present in over 80% of adults aged 60 and above (Muraki et al., 2014). Given that spondylosis and its measurable features develop over time, the incidence of spondylosis in the population increases with age. Spondylosis can arise in the neck, the lower back, and in the upper and lower parts of the ribcage, due to the articulated and mobile nature of these regions. In neck populations, symptomatic spondylosis has been reported in 13.9% of adults in community‑based studies (Lv et al., 2018; (Jiang et al., 2025)).Additionally, as time goes on and symptoms develop, spondylosis can also be accompanied by bone spurs in the regions affected, as well as irritation of the nerve roots exiting the spine due to structural change to the apertures through which these nerves pass.
Spondylolysis
Spondylolysis refers to a stress fracture defect in a specific part of the vertebrae, which are the bones that make up the spine. This stress fracture is usually caused by repetitive loading over time, or traumatic damage due to impact, disease, strenuous activity, or recreational exercise. The extent to which this stress fracture causes discomfort and symptoms depends on the severity of the fracture itself as well as the mechanism by which the fracture occurred. While structural change is a normal part of growing, living and ageing due to the natural adaptive capacity of the human body, time-related weardown or damage to anatomical structures can cause issues like difficulty standing and walking, bending, changes in strength and sensation in the limbs, and of course, pain. Epidemiological studies show that spondylolysis is relatively common, with prevalence estimates ranging from 5% to 11.5% in adult populations, depending on age and activity level (Margetis & Gillis, 2025).
Spondylolisthesis
Spondylolisthesis often refers to the progression of another spondy-injury, but it may also may arise independently of any prior illness or injury, or may be congenital. In the general adult population, the prevalence of spondylolysis ranges from 5% to 11.5%, while isthmic spondylolisthesis is observed in approximately 4% to 8% of individuals (Mohile et. al., 2022) Spondylolisthesis is defined as the displacement of one vertebra over the vertebral body below it, and depending on the extent to which the vertebra is displaced, this may cause different symptoms. Low-grade displacements may present with generalised discomfort. Pronounced displacement may cause severe pain, sensation and stress changes, and other issues that may require medical attention and cause other more serious consequences. Given that vertebrae may move forward, backward, or left and right relative to the segments below them, Spondylolistheses can also be described as anterolistheses, posterolistheses, and laterolistheses, indicating forward, backward, or sideways movement respectively.
Managing discomfort requires looking closely at several important aspects: the underlying cause, how symptoms shift throughout the day, what tends to ease or aggravate the pain, and how long you’ve been experiencing it. Each of these factors is carefully reviewed during your initial consultation, which serves as the first step toward reducing discomfort and creating an effective plan for ongoing management. From this assessment, your treatment plan is tailored to your individual situation, with a clear focus on minimising pain, restoring comfortable and pain‑free movement, and introducing practical strategies designed to prevent future flare‑ups and setbacks, helping you maintain long‑term wellbeing.
At Atlas Physio, we provide clear education, structured care, and consistent monitoring both in‑clinic and at home, ensuring you feel supported throughout every stage of recovery. To make care accessible and convenient, we’re open seven days a week, offer evening appointments, provide bulk billing for eligible clients, and charge no gap for WorkCover or TAC clients. Reach out to us today and take the first step toward living more comfortably, safely, and well, supported by care that is reliable, straightforward, and effective, and designed to help you achieve lasting results with confidence.
REFERENCES
Jiang, L., Xu, Y., Yang, Z., Li, P., Dong, Y., & Yang, G. (2025). Global trends in cervical spondylosis research: A bibliometric analysis based on the Web of Science. Frontiers in Neurology, 16.
Lv, Y., Tian, W., Chen, D., Liu, Y., Wang, L., & Duan, F. (2018). The prevalence and associated factors of symptomatic cervical Spondylosis in Chinese adults: a community-based cross-sectional study. BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 19(1), 325.
Margetis, K., Gillis, C. C. (2025). Spondylolisthesis. [Updated 2025 Mar 28]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-. Available from:
Mohile, N. V., Kuczmarski, A. S., Lee, D., Warburton, C., Rakoczy, K., & Butler, A. J. (2022). Spondylolysis and Isthmic Spondylolisthesis: A Guide to Diagnosis and Management. Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine : JABFM, 35(6), 1204–1216.
Muraki, S., Yoshimura, N., Akune, T., Tanaka, S., Takahashi, I., & Fujiwara, S. (2014). Prevalence, incidence and progression of lumbar spondylosis by gender and age strata. Modern rheumatology, 24(4), 657–661.
Sen, R., Goyal, A., Hurley, J. A. (2023). Seronegative Spondyloarthropathy. [Updated 2023 Jul 17]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing.