How to Know When You Have Arthritis in Your Lower Back?
Spinal Osteoarthritis (Degenerative Arthritis of the Spine)
What Is Osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis is also known every bit degenerative joint disease. Information technology is a condition in which the protective cartilage that cushions the tops of bones degenerates, or wears downward. This causes swelling and hurting. It may besides cause the evolution of osteophytes, or os spurs.
What Is Osteoarthritis of the Spine?
Osteoarthritis of the spine is a breakdown of the cartilage of the joints and discs in the neck and lower dorsum.
Sometimes, osteoarthritis produces spurs that put pressure level on the nerves leaving the spinal column. This tin can cause weakness and pain in the arms or legs.
Who Gets Osteoarthritis of the Spine?
In general, osteoarthritis happens as people get older. Younger people may get it from one of several different causes:
- injury or trauma to a joint
- a genetic defect involving cartilage
For people younger than historic period 45, osteoarthritis is more common amidst men. After age 45, osteoarthritis is more common amidst women. Osteoarthritis occurs more ofttimes among people who are overweight. It also occurs more oft in those who have jobs or do sports that put repetitive stress on certain joints.
What Are the Symptoms of Osteoarthritis of the Spine?
Osteoarthritis of the spine may cause stiffness or pain in the neck or back. Information technology may too cause weakness or numbness in the legs or arms if it is severe enough to affect spinal nerves or the spinal cord itself. Ordinarily, the dorsum discomfort is relieved when the person is lying down.
Some people experience little interference with the activities of their lives. Others become more severely disabled.
In addition to the physical furnishings, a person with osteoarthritis might too experience social and emotional problems. For case, a person with osteoarthritis that hinders daily activities and chore performance might feel depressed or helpless.
How Is Osteoarthritis of the Spine Diagnosed?
The best manner to confirm a diagnosis of osteoarthritis is by 10-ray. The doctor will take a medical history and perform a physical exam to see if the person has pain, tenderness, loss of move involving the neck or lower back, or if symptoms are suggestive, signs of nervus interest such as weakness, reflex changes, or loss of awareness.
The doctor may order certain tests to assistance in the diagnosis of osteoarthritis of the spine. These tests include:
- Ten-rays to look for bone damage, bone spurs, and loss of cartilage or disc; notwithstanding, X-rays are non able to show early on harm to cartilage.
- Blood tests to exclude other diseases
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to show possible damage to discs or narrowing of areas where spinal nerves go out
How Is Osteoarthritis of the Spine Treated?
In most cases, treatment of spinal osteoarthritis is geared toward relieving the symptoms of pain and increasing a person'southward power to office. The goal is to accept a healthy lifestyle.
Initial treatment may include losing weight if needed then, for everyone, maintaining a healthy weight. It may also include exercise. Besides helping with weight management, exercise tin also help:
- increment flexibility
- meliorate mental attitude and mood
- strengthen the heart
- improve blood menstruation
- make it easier to do daily tasks
Some of the exercises associated with osteoarthritis treatment include swimming, walking, and water aerobics. Exercise may be cleaved downwardly into the following categories:
- Strengthening exercises. These exercises seek to make muscles that support the joints stronger. They work through resistance with the employ of weights or safety bands.
- Aerobic exercises. These are exercises that make the heart and circulatory arrangement stronger.
- Range-of-motion exercises. These exercises increase the body'south flexibility.
Including rest periods in the overall treatment plan is necessary. Only bed residual, splints, bracing, or traction for long periods of time is not recommended.
There are not-drug treatments available for osteoarthritis, including:
- massage
- acupuncture
- estrus or cold compresses, which refers to placing water ice or heated compresses onto the affected articulation (check with your doctor most which option, or which combination of heat and cold options, is all-time for you.)
- transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) using a small device that emits electrical pulses onto the affected expanse
- nutritional supplements
Hurting medications may also exist used to care for osteoarthritis. Over-the-counter products include acetaminophen (Tylenol).
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are also available over-the-counter in certain strengths. Examples include aspirin, naproxen sodium (Aleve), and ibuprofen (Motrin or Advil). NSAIDs may take serious side effects. Those include eye attack, stroke, stomach irritation and bleeding, and less frequently, kidney damage.
Topical ointments and creams are also available to treat pain. They are applied to the skin in the surface area that hurts, but by and large, these are not constructive. Examples of topical drugs include Ben-Gay and Aspercreme.
Your doctor may also recommend prescription drugs to treat symptoms, as there are no medications that reverse the procedure. These may include prescription painkillers, balmy narcotics, or injections of corticosteroids around the spinal cavalcade called epidural steroid injections. It is important to understand that these injections do non correct the underlying problem and are sometimes used without clear indication of long-term benefit. Oral steroids are not commonly used.
Well-nigh cases of spinal osteoarthritis can exist treated without surgery, merely surgery is sometimes performed. Spinal osteoarthritis is one of the causes of spinal stenosis, or narrowing of the spinal canal. In cases where bladder and bowel part is impaired, where the nervous system is damaged, or when walking becomes very difficult, surgery will probable be recommended.
Source: https://www.webmd.com/osteoarthritis/spinal-osteoarthritis-degenerative-arthritis-of-the-spine
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