Is arthritis the problem?

 

Degenerative Changes

 

We see these most often in our older patients however they are not unheard of in younger patient groups. Often degeneration of joints in the spine can lead to spinal stenosis which means that a bony portion of the spine has remodeled and is somehow interfering with a nerve(s). This may lead to many things including severe pain which may or may not travel down to the arms or legs, possible weakness of muscles of the arms or legs, numbness and / or tingling down as far as the hands or feet, and even absence of reflexes. 

Degenerative changes can affect any joint and so while we tend to think just of the spine, some patients who come in complaining of back pain who do have degenerative changes may be suffering from problems with the hip joints or even the sacroiliac joints, knees or ankles. It’s important for this distinction to be made as this will determine what course of treatment will be most effective.

 

An inflammatory condition

 

Many inflammatory conditions such as different types of inflammatory arthritis or some autoimmune type conditions can lead to back pain. It is also interesting to note that some studies suggest that the severity of pain may be influenced by a person’s overall inflammatory state. 

Something even more interesting than that little tidbit is that the standard American diet appears to stimulate the formation of the molecules that cause pain in our bodies. These studies show further that simple lifestyle changes can often reduce the inflammation in the body thus reducing overall pain. The science supports this, some studies suggest the science may be spot on and our positive experience in practice leads us to have a discussion about these types of lifestyle changes with every patient who comes in.

 Would you like to learn more? Get the free #BePainFree ebook

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 #BePainFree - The Five Causes Of Back Pain And The Seven Keys To Lasting Relief

Regards in health,

Dr. Davia H. Shepherd

Saporito Chiropractic

 *Disclaimer: Please remember that it's impossible for me to diagnose you and treat you just by you reading one of my articles. I'm superwoman it's true, but even that is beyond my capabilities. So before you engage in any health and wellness activities, do consult your health care provider. Please know that we are happy to address your personal concerns, just call us in office to schedule your personal consultation; and thanks ever so much for reading. We appreciate you.