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Osteoarthritis
What is Osteoarthritis?Arthritis consists of many forms of the disorder, some of which are very nasty indeed. The OSTEO form is not inherently painful, but will sometimes produce small aches and pains in affected patients. Arthritis is a degenerative process which affects the joints of the body, and in this case, the spine. Typical arthritic changes to the spine include bone spur growth around the vertebral bodies and facet joints. These bone spurs (also called osteophytes) are usually the source of blame when it comes to back pain. Most commonly, they are said to produce increased bone on bone contact (sometimes true) and other times are said to compress spinal nerve roots in the neuroforaminal openings (extremely rare). Facet joint syndrome and spondylosis are other common back pain diagnoses related to the arthritic processes.Osteoarthritis PainBeing that osteoarthritis is a progressive condition, the symptomology should worsen as a patient ages. However, this is not usually the case. Most highly symptomatic forms of spinal arthritis are diagnosed in patients between 40 and 55. These are certainly not the prime years for arthritic change, but are the years of responsibility and stress. Most older patients do not suffer serious arthritic back pain, despite having far more advanced cases of spinal degeneration. Of course, there are exceptions to this and every rule…Pain associated with the OSTEO form of arthritis is generally dull, achy and activity or weather dependent. It is not typically chronic and severe, although many times the arthritic process is mistakenly blamed for acute pain when there is no better spinal scapegoat available… Osteoarthritis AdviceI have just recently noticed the first signs of arthritis in my body. I have endured a lifetime of injuries due to my active participation in martial arts for decades. Despite the small aches and pains which come on occasionally, I do not expect to suffer any real problems from spinal arthritis, since I am already knowledgeable about the clinical profile of the condition. This knowledge eliminates the fear and negates the nocebo factor long before it has a chance to take hold and do any damage…Arthritis is one of the most treated conditions in all of medicine and is especially valued by the pharmaceutical industry. Drug therapy is the most common treatment approach and most patients continue to take powerful and risky medications for the long term. Arthritis is BIG BUSINESS within the back pain industry. Best of all, it is universal and WILL be found in virtually every patient over the age of 50 (and many far younger). Before you buy into the diagnosis, be sure to research the facts for yourself. You will find that arthritis is sometimes a real concern, but is generally nothing more than another spinal abnormality mistakenly blamed for back pain in the vast majority of diagnosed sciatica patients. 7/5/08 Revised 12/14/09
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