Early signs of back arthritis may include pain, swelling and other symptoms.
Arthritis in the back arises due to the inflammation of facet joints in the spine or sacroiliac joints between the spine and the pelvis. The main reasons for arthritis in the back include
- Wear and tear
- Excess weight
- Autoimmune disorders
- Infection
- Poor posture at work
- Professions involving lifting heavy machines or loads
Some of the early signs of arthritis in the back include
- Back pain – especially in the lower back – tends to be worse in the morning, particularly 30 minutes after waking up. The pain subsides with activity as the day progresses.
- Back stiffness
- Intermittent joint pain that may be aggravated by motion
- Pain and swelling in other areas of the body (inflammatory arthritis)
- Pain that disturbs sleep is often an indicator of osteoarthritis
- Swelling and tenderness in one or more joints and these changes may also be triggered by weather changes
- Feeling of bone grinding or rubbing when moving the spine
- Loss of flexibility of the joints mainly experienced as an inability to bend or pick something off the floor
- Whole-body weakness
- Fatigue
- Headaches
- A sensation of pinching, tingling or numbness in a nerve or along the spinal cord
- Bone soreness in the lower spine
- Burning sensation after physical activity
- Muscle spasms
- Decreased range of motion
- Bone spurs (extra bits of bone around the affected joints that feel like hard lumps)
Some of the late signs of arthritis in the back include
- Pain that radiates to the arms and legs
- Muscle weakness
- Loss of bowel or bladder function
- Loss of coordination or changes in the ability to walk
- Severe back spasm
- Kyphosis (humped spine deformity)
For more information, click ARTHRITIS (Source is credited here)
