Degenerative Arthritis Definition | Back Pain and Neck Pain ...Degenerative Arthritis Definition. Degenerative arthritis is a condition that involves the chronic breakdown of cartilage in the joints leading to painful joint ...Spinal Osteoarthritis Symptoms, Causes, Treatments, Pain Relief ...WebMD looks at spinal osteoarthritis and examines the causes, symptoms, and treatments of this painful back condition.'Degenerative changes' in the spine: Is this arthritis ...Dr. April Chang-Miller is board certified in internal medicine and rheumatology and is a consultant in the Division of Rheumatology at Mayo Clinic in Arizona.