Arthritis In The Back - Symptoms, Tests, And Treatment

Spinal arthritis or spondylosis or spinal osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease of the spine. It results in loss of normal spine structure and function. Arthritis in the back is caused primarily by aging. The rate of degeneration and its location in the spine may vary from one individual to another.

Spinal arthritis affects the lumbar, thoracic, or the cervical region of the spine. In this degenerative disorder, facet joints and intervertebral discs are affected.

The symptoms and signs of spinal arthritis include inflammation, pain, and stiffness in the spinal joints. The symptoms may include off and on back pain, stiffness in the spine early in the morning or after an activity. In some people the pain may reduce after exercise. In others, it may decrease with rest. Some of the affected persons feel numbness or tenderness in the neck. Some others have pain in the lower back that appears to run down into the thighs, buttocks, or the pelvic area.

Some of them are affected by tenderness or pain in the hips, shoulders, heels, or knees. Or, some have a sensation of bone crunching or friction between bones of the spine. Often there may be numbness or weakness in the arms or legs or it may be difficult to bend or walk. Some people may have curtailed freedom of motion of the spine. Spinal deformity is also observed in certain patients of spinal arthritis.

To clinch a diagnosis of spinal arthritis, a doctor will need to conduct certain tests on the affected patient.

He/she will also conduct blood tests to know the type of arthritis. He/she will perform x-rays of the spine to detect structural anomalies and also to determine any deterioration of the cartilage. He/she will conduct magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the spine to view its structure in three dimensions. It will also help show nerve roots, the spinal cord, and the space surrounding it.

He/she will also order a CAT scan (computerized axial tomography scan) of the spine. The scan will reveal the contour of the spinal canal, the bone structures surrounding it, and the contents of the spinal canal. He/she will also conduct a myelogram through injection of a liquid dye into the spinal canal. It will enable the doctor to know if there is pressure exerted on the spinal cord or on nerves due to bone spurs, tumors or herniated discs. He may also conduct a bone scan in an endeavor to detect arthritis.

If the diagnosis for spinal arthritis is clinched, the doctor will then prescribe treatment. The only treatment advised will be use of conventional pain management medication, exercises, and physical therapy to reduce pain in the spine. Anti-inflammatory agents, muscle relaxants, and analgesics may be prescribed for a short period of time. This is because no cure for arthritis exists. Surgery may be the last treatment option for arthritis in the back. That too, if any of the conventional methods cannot reduce pain.

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