Arthritis of the Spine
by Andrea Renshaw, M.P.T.
Arthritis sends over 20 million people in the US health care system to their doctor every year. It is estimated that over 80% of the people over the age of 50 in the United States suffer from some degree of arthritis of the spine.
This article serves to describe the condition of osteoarthritis of the spine from common causes, factors involved, associated symptoms, and traditional and natural remedies to combat it.
What Causes Arthritis of the Spine?
What exactly is arthritis? There are two main types of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Both affect the joints, but they differ in terms of how and why they occur.
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune condition where the body's immune system gets confused and attacks itself. RA is a systemic health issue and won't be covered in this article.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is often used interchangeably with degenerative joint disease, and is a condition of wearing out of the normal smooth cartilage surfaces of the joint. Most people naturally develop some arthritic changes in one or more joints as they age.
This article will focus on osteoarthritis, specifically of the spine. Although some arthritis of the spine is a natural part of aging, you shouldn't also expect that you'll have back pain as a result.
Osteoarthritis is caused by wearing away of the cartilage covering the joints, exposing the underlying bone. This can occur because of overuse, trauma or a muscle imbalance. Sometime extra bone growth is formed, and this new bone, or spurring, can encroach on other structures.
The disc between the vertebrae can also become worn. It can herniate (expel some of its gel-like inner contents) or it can degenerate, narrowing the space the nerve roots travel through as they exit the spinal cord.
Arthritis and disc abnormalities do not necessarily cause back pain.
Arthritis of the spine can also progress into other conditions such as degenerative spondylolisthesis or spinal stenosis.
Below is a list of risk factors for osteoarthritis:
- Age - over the age of 50
- Gender - more women than men are affected
- History of overuse from work related or recreational activities (i.e. truck driver or gymnast)
- History of trauma - fracture, car accident
- Weight - being overweight increases the load through the joints and often changes how you move
- Genetics - family history of arthritis
- General state of health - suppressed immune system, chronic illness, poor diet, inactive lifestyle
- Posture - faulty alignment, muscles not balanced around a joint
An example of how arthritis can occur in the spine
A common example of spine arthritis is in the competitive gymnast.
The gymnast practices countless hours per week, often moving into a position of repetitive back bending of the spine. This excessive back bending while doing high impact activities puts repetitive stress through the small facet joints on the backside of the spine, wearing away the cartilage surfaces more rapidly. Many gymnasts develop facet joint arthritis at a much earlier age than their non-gymnast counterparts.
Common Remedies and Solutions
Common medical remedies for arthritis focus on symptom control versus addressing the direct cause. This includes oral medications such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDs); acetaminophen such as Tylenol, which is not an anti-inflammatory agent but a pain reliever; muscle relaxants and steroid injections.
Several natural alternatives to NSAIDs include adding a high quality source of animal-based omega 3 fat such as Krill Oil and supplementing with glucosamine chondroitin. Acupuncture is thought to assist in pain relief through the release of endorphins that block the pain signal from being delivered to the brain.
In some cases, surgical intervention may be needed. Briefly, surgical procedures may include total disc replacement, or spine fusion to prevent movement from occurring. Surgery carries with it inherent risks, and should be used only as a last resort. Recent studies show that there is a less than 50% chance that spine surgery will permanently relieve your back pain.
