Lower Back Pain and Spinal Arthritis

Lower back is the most common site of the back where arthritis usually starts. Spinal arthritis is inflammation of the facet joints in the spine or sacroiliac joint between the spine and pelvis. Pain and stiffness are the most common symptoms of spinal arthritis.

Exact causes of spinal arthritis are unknown however, normal wear and tear can be construed as a trigger for spinal arthritis. Genetic components have also been identified in connection with some forms of spinal arthritis. Other risk factors for spinal arthritis include:

• Excess weight
• Age
• Presence of certain conditions such as diabetic, gout, tuberculosis, irritable bowel syndrome and Lyme disease.

TYPES OF SPINAL ARTHRITIS

All arthritis leads to inflammation. Arthritis is categorized as inflammatory and non-inflammatory (degenerative) based on its origin. Example of inflammatory arthritis include infectious arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and gout. An example of non-inflammatory arthritis is osteoarthritis, this is the most common type of arthritis. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/arthritis/

HOW TO DIAGNOSE SPINAL ARTHRITIS

Medical history and physical examination

Blood test for genetic markers and/or RA antibodies

X-rays of the spine to locate the arthritic joint

MRI, CT Scan, myelography, bone scan and or ultrasound to focus on the damage, detect nerve and spinal cord involvement or rule out other causes

oint aspiration testing of the synovial fluid inside joint

HOW TO TREAT ARTHRITIS OF THE SPINE

• In most cases treatment of spinal arthritis is geared towards relieving the symptoms of pain and increasing a person’s ability to function.

• Initial treatment may include losing weight if needed and then maintaining a healthy weight. Initial treatment may in addition, include exercises. In addition with helping with weight management, exercises also help to improve blood flow, make it easier to do daily tasks, strengthen the heart, improve attitude and mood, increase flexibility.

• Exercises may be divided into three groups: strengthening exercises, aerobic exercises and range-of-motion exercises.

• Curcumin also known as tunic powder has shown some potential in reducing inflammation in sciatic nerve pain and back pain.

• Other non -drug treatments available for arthritis include cold or heat compression, nutritional supplements, acupuncture, massage.

• Over-the-counter medication include: nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like, naproxen and/or ibuprofen. It is important to remember that NSAIDs may have serious side effects like stomach irritation, bleeding and less frequent side effect is kidney damage.

• Topical ointments and creams are also available to treat pain. They are applied to the skin in the area that hurts, but generally, these are not that effective.

• A doctor may also recommend prescription drugs to treat symptoms as there are no medication that reverse the process of spinal arthritis. These include prescription pain killers, mild narcotics or injections of corticosteroids around the spinal column (epidural steroid injections).

• Most cases of spinal arthritis can be treated without surgery, but surgery is sometimes performed. In cases where bladder and bowel function is impaired, where the nervous system is damaged, or when walking become very difficult, surgery will likely be recommended. Spinal surgery may be further considered if patient’s symptoms are severe and other treatments have failed to provide relief. For spinal arthritis, the only effective treatment is spine fusion surgery. Artificial disc surgery is only indicated for those individuals with degenerative disc disease without facet joint pathology.

Written by: S Bara

This article is also available on www.barabone.blog

First published on 23/12/2019