Symptoms and Treatment for Spinal Arthritis
Physical Therapy in Fairfax County VA
Spinal arthritis occurs when the facet joints of the spine or the sacroiliac joints located between the pelvis and the spine become chronically inflamed. This may happen due to age and wear and tear on those areas, an autoimmune disease, or infection. It is a very painful chronic condition.
Risk Factors of Developing Spinal Arthritis
The most common risk factor is having a family history of arthritis. Genetic components have been discovered in connection with some forms of spinal arthritis, making it appear to be hereditary.
Other possible causes can be:
- Age
- Obesity
- Other disease such as diabetes, Lyme disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and psoriasis
Spinal Arthritis Symptoms
There are several types of spinal arthritis such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and spondylarthritis. Each of these may cause different symptoms or symptoms in different areas of the spine, but there are common symptoms most people with spinal arthritis suffer from.
- Loss of spinal flexibility. The spine may become stiff and difficult to move, bend, or twist. It can become difficult to straighten up or turn the head.
- Chronic neck and back pain, with the lower back being the most commonly and severely affected.
- The affected vertebrae may feel tender or swollen. It might be painful to touch that area or have clothing touch it.
- A feeling of grinding when the back is moved or twisted.
- Pain, stiffness, and swelling in other areas of the body.
- Numbness in the arms and legs if nerves are affected.
- Overall fatigue and loss of energy.
- Headaches or vision problems.
Managing Spinal Arthritis
If your loved one has spinal arthritis, it will affect her daily life. She might find it difficult to do many things around the home she wants or needs to do. Depending on the severity of the condition, her doctor may recommend several care options.
- Make some lifestyle changes. If your loved one’s arthritis is made worse by some lifestyle choices, her doctor may make some recommendations for her to implement to slow down the progression of the disease. He might recommend losing weight if she is obese, getting regular exercise if she is overly sedentary, or ceasing smoking or drinking alcohol if she imbibes in either of these habits.
- Prescribe medications to reduce the swelling and inflammation. These can be pills she takes or injections she has in the affected areas.
- Prescribe pain medication to help manage the pain associated with the condition.
- Recommend physical therapy. With physical therapy, your loved one can learn how to improve her back muscle and increase her range of motion. Your loved one may go to a clinic for physical therapy or have a provider come to the home to provide physical therapy. If your loved one is unable to drive due to the pain of spinal arthritis or if the clinic is located far from her home, an in-home physical therapy provider can help ensure she gets the assistance she needs without having to leave home.
- Possible surgery. If the above treatments don’t provide enough relief, your loved one’s doctor may recommend surgery to relieve pain. The goal of surgery will be to either decompress the spinal cord by removing bone spurs that are pressing on it or provide pain relief by fusing vertebrae to reduce the pain from the friction of them rubbing against each other.
If you or an aging loved one are considering physical therapy in Fairfax County, VA, please contact the caring staff at LivinRite Home Care. Serving Northern Virginia, The Valley, and Surrounding Communities – call us today at (703) 369-6677.
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