Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Arthritis and Low Back Pain


The first thing I wish to impress upon you if you have been diagnosed as having 'arthritis' of your lower back, is do not worry! Arthritis in the lower back is something everyone will endure, from as young as our late twenties or early thirties (depending upon which research you read).

Therefore, if you have received the results of your X-ray and have subsequently been told the cause of your low back pain is arthritis (or wear and tear as it is sometimes called), do not be too concerned and think there is nothing which can be done for your pain.

As we get older and suffer wear and tear of any joint, this only means that the chances of us developing pain from that joint have increased, it is not a foregone conclusion however. As the wear and tear takes place, physical changes occur about that joint in response to the increased stresses being placed across it. It is how our body adapts to these changes which is the biggest indicator as to whether or not you will suffer pain, not the changes themselves.

Some people are very fortunate, whereby you may look at their X-ray and there will be a high degree of wear & tear present, yet they may be suffering very little or no pain at all. On the other hand, another person may not be so fortunate and have an X-ray where the arthritic changes present are relatively small, yet they will be in quite severe pain.

The main difference between these two individuals is not relative to the amount of wear and tear present, but rather how their own body's have responded to that wear and tear.

The most significant thing which arthritis does to a joint is it sensitises the structures involved, consequently increasing the likelihood of perceiving pain.

Consequently, if you can reduce these stresses across the joints concerned, by either stretching or strengthening the appropriate structures which have an influence over the arthritic joint, there is every chance the pain being felt can be resolved.

Therefore, if you are suffering with low back pain as a result of arthritis, do not give up hope. Although it may be a little more difficult, it does not mean for definite there is nothing which can be done for you. I have treated many patients who have been diagnosed with arthritis of their spine, yet they have gone on to make a 100% recovery.

In addition to this, it is important I add that the arthritis shown by the X-ray may be a complete red herring and have nothing at all to do with your pain!

Bearing in mind the majority of us will show signs of arthritis in our spine as we pass through our late twenties/thirties, if you were to X-ray 100 people within this age group who were suffering with no pain whatsoever, there is a very high likelihood that some of these individuals will be showing sign of arthritis of their spine... so how comes they are not suffering with low back pain?

The reason is just as I have explained above, arthritis increases the likelihood of you getting pain, it does not mean you are going to suffer pain. Even though you may be showing signs of arthritis on your X-ray, there maybe another very simple reason for your pain which is not due to that.

Therefore, in summary, all I am saying is that if you have been told you are suffering with arthritis of your low back, do not be too alarmed. It is something everyone suffers with as they get older and may have nothing at all to do with the pain you are currently suffering.

Even if it is contributing towards your pain though, it still doesn't mean there is nothing which can be done.

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