When a person suffers from arthritis of the spine or neck, this is an inflammation of the sacroiliac or facet joints of the pelvis or the spine.
Over 100 different varieties of arthritis that affect the spine exists. Unfortunately, the neck and back pain that can come from it may feel debilitating.
Common types of spinal arthritis
Harvard Medical School talks about certain types of arthritis and the complications they may cause. The most common type of spinal arthritis is osteoarthritis, or a degenerative type that usually affects a person’s lower back. The pain will usually feel worse when twisting or bending and it will often happen due to wear and tear.
An autoimmune disorder causes rheumatoid arthritis, which is another common type. It will usually affect the cervical area of the spine. It can cause inflammation and joint pain even when in a resting state, and usually affects more women than men.
Spondyloarthritis is another inflammatory form. This happens when separate diseases trigger inflammation in the vertebrae or joints.
Risk factors and treatment
Several risk factors come into play when it comes to determining who is most likely to develop arthritis of the spine. This includes a person’s weight, age, genetic predisposition or family history, and any underlying medical conditions they might have like diabetes.
Treatments typically include pain management, physical therapy and even surgical options in some cases. Certain symptoms of arthritis are harder to treat, however, and these can lower a victim’s quality of life significantly. This is why it is important for people suffering from arthritis pain to seek help with their condition.
