Osteoarthritis related neck pain and back pain is a fairly common complaint, particularly as we age. In fact, most neck pain, back pain, and sciatica complaints are tied in one way or another to aging and/or the 5 factors that cause and exacerbate what I refer to as the back pain complex…neck pain, back pain, and/or sciatica (see http://UltimateBadBackStrategies.com for the 5 factors).
Interestingly, arthritis related neck and back pain has become something of a catch-all designation for neck pain and back pain, often without a proper medical diagnosis, particularly among individuals fifty years of age and above. Osteoarthritis is generally characterized by a break down of the facet joints, the joints articulating one vertebra to the next posteriorly. In other words, the joints that join one vertebra with the next at the back of the spinal column, stabilizing the spine and assisting with motion (see video on spinal curvatures).
As we age, the intervertebral joints, also referred to as facet joints, break down, usually due to stress or trauma-related injury to the joint over time. The joint surface, and often the area just adjacent to the joint, will undergo changes to the surface and to the adjoining bone, the breakdown often leading to new bone being deposited.
Often, in advance cases, the connective tissue may even calcify and/or ossify, meaning the ligaments will become bone-like and inflexible. The loss of flexibility, the restricted range of motion, will lead first to stiffness and ultimately to increasing levels of neck pain and back pain, depending on the region of the spine affected.
The most common areas affected are the cervical and lumbar regions of the spine, hence the neck and back pain. These are the two secondary curvatures are responsible for holding our head upright and for head and neck movement, and for standing upright and walking on two legs, respectively. The stress exerted upon the secondary curvatures is much greater than on the primary curvatures of the thoracic and sacral regions. That is not to say that the thoracic and sacral regions are not affected by back pain, they most certainly are, and in some instances the pain can be every bit as debilitating and disabling as neck pain and lower back pain. However, the cervical and lumbar regions are most affected and mimic the curvatures of the spine in prevalence.
How to deal with arthritis related neck and back pain will be covered in future videos and articles but it is crucial that an individual suffering from neck pain and/or back pain related to osteoarthritis maintain and active lifestyle, to include walking and flexibility exercises. Additionally, good nutrition is also crucial, going a long way toward alleviating and ultimately eliminating arthritis related neck pain and back pain.
We will cover how to achieve lasting pain relief from arthritis related neck and back pain in the next video and article in this series. If you are interested in getting active and taking control of your neck pain and back pain, the program at
is wonderful and will put you back on the road to a pain free, active lifestyle!
John
Professor John P. J. Zajaros, Sr., The Bad Back Guy
216-712-6526
Skype: johnzajaros1
JohnZ@UltimateBadBackStrategies.com
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