Can Rheumatoid Arthritis cause back
problems?
Rheumatoid Arthritis is a systemic disease, which can affect
all joints in the body. The facet joints at the level of
the lumbar spine are similar to other joints in the body.
They contain cartilage, ligaments and synovium and can be
modified by Rheumatoid Arthritis. When arthritis affects
a person's joints in the hands, the disease may be very
obvious. Rheumatoid arthritis can lead to swollen joints
and deformation with a loss of function. Arthritis of the
lumbar spine may be less obvious to the sight but can lead
to severe symptoms of pain, nerve irritation and weakness.
There may be nothing obvious at first glance in your lumbar
and lumbosacral spine. However, investigation must be carried
out with regard to stenosis, facet joint subluxation, spine
instability using X-rays with stress, flexion and extension
views and perhaps a CT scan or MRI.
Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis often involves the intake
of Prednisone or other steroid medications, which may have
side effects on bone such as osteoporosis. Some compression
fractures may occur in the spine. In patients under treatment
for Rheumatoid Arthritis is is thus important to obtain
a detailed evaluation including X-rays and possibly an MRI.
If your questions are not answered here please feel free
to contact
us.
What is a Sciatica?
The word "sciatica" is applied to define a pain
which follows the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve is made
of nerve roots coming out of the spine between the lowest
lumbar vertebrae and the upper sacral vertebrae. Converging
and merging together in the pelvis they become a big nerve
trunk (the sciatic nerve) which goes from the pelvis to
the leg distributing nerve supply to numerous structures
(muscles, joints, skin …) of the leg.
Any irritation or compression of one or more nerve roots
of this sciatic nerve as well as of the nerve trunk may
cause a pain following the nerve distribution and is called
a "sciatica". Disc diseases (herniated disc, extruded
disc) are often associated with a sciatica. These symptoms
may develop suddenly (acute), such as due to a herniated
disc. The condition may also be chronic which is frequently
the result of problems such as disc degeneration, ruptured
discs, instability or stenosis. Other less frequent problems
may cause direct or indirect compression of the sciatic
nerve at the level of the roots or along its path.
If your questions are not answered here please feel free
to contact
us.
What is the cause of low back pain
in most people?
In the majority of cases the exact cause of low back pain
is not identified. If an underlying source of pain is not
identified then a diagnosis of idiopathic back pain or myofascial
back pain is often given. It is important to seek consultation
by a specialist for back pain since there are some treatable
and specific disorders that can lead to severe or persistent
pains. These include: infection (discitis, osteomyelitis),
degenerative disc disease, ruptured disc, herniated disc,
tumor, fracture, and others. In the normal aging process
the spine develops degenerative changes which can lead to
mechanical pain (brought on by activity or changes in position),
frequently this responds to exercise therapy (stabilization
program).
If your questions are not answered here please feel free
to contact
us.
How common is low back pain?
Low back pain is one of the most common painful conditions.
It has been estimated that up to 80% of all people have
back pain which is disabling at some time in their lives.
Most back pain occurs without any particular cause which
a patient remembers. Similar to its onset, back pain usually
disappears even if no particular treatment is given. Back
pain usually only lasts for up to several weeks. It is much
less common to have pain which lasts for more than 6 to
12 weeks. Severe or persistent pain should be evaluated
by a spine specialist. Back pain which goes into the legs
and involves any urinary or bowel habit changes should be
closely evaluated.
If your questions are not answered here please feel free
to contact
us.
Can low back pain be serious?
Although most cases of back pain are not very serious and
clear up on their own, there are some medical conditions
which can lead to back pain and require proper diagnosis
and treatment. Some of the signs that something more serious
may be going on include: pain at night, fevers, sweats,
weight loss, a previous diagnosis of cancer, weakness in
the legs, difficulty controlling urination, burning with
urination, numbness about the genitalia, abdominal pains.
If there is any suspicion of a more serious medical condition
causing back pain, then it is essential to have a complete
evaluation by an experienced medical doctor.
If your questions are not answered here please feel free
to contact
us.
What is the best treatment for my
low back pain?
A variety of treatments are offered to treat low back pain.
These include: heat treatments, massage, TENS (electrical
stimulation), ultrasound, chiropractic manipulation, physical
therapy, exercise programs and medication. None of these
treatments have been clearly proven to be any better than
a gradual return to regular daily activities. Medication
is often taken to alleviate the pain. What is important
to remember though is that comfort and reduced pain during
the recovery from low back pain, may be obtained for a particular
patient with one or more of the modalities listed above.
Although those treatments have not been clearly proven to
be effective they may give you some relief. The best recommendation
is to rest briefly (up to 2-3 days) if the pain is severe,
but then begin to get into your usual activities gradually
after that. Once you are recovering from low back pain,
getting into a regular exercise program for overall conditioning
and strengthening of back muscles has been shown to reduce
the chance of further back problems.
If your questions are not answered here please feel free
to contact
us.
|
