Arthritis in the Back
The human spine is a remarkable piece of living machinery. Composed of more than 30 bones, this column of bones and connective tissue allows us to bend, stretch and even twist our torso freely when it is healthy and normal. When it is not healthy, though, it can be a cause for great discomfort and interference with the activities of daily life. Arthritis may affect any of the moveable joints between the seven cervical, twelve thoracic, and five lumbar vertebrae.
There are many causes of back pain, but let us focus on back pain that results from one form of arthritis or another and the ways this can be treated using both conventional medicine, advanced technology and even traditional herbal medicine. Both osteoarthritis and inflammatory arthritis can affect the spine. With rheumatoid and other inflammatory arthritic diseases, the treatment will partly require medications to stop the autoimmune reaction that is causing joint damage. With “wear and tear” or osteoarthritis, the treatment is mostly directed to symptomatic relief.
Physical therapy can be value to those suffering from arthritis in the back. Ultrasound and diathermy can be soothing and help reduce pain and may even help speed recovery from inflammation. Gentle exercises prescribed by a physician can also help, and water exercise is often recommended. Since poor posture and lack of fitness contribute to arthritis back pain, therapy and exercise can help correct these and provide relief. Exercise also helps with weight loss, another way to help back pain from arthritis.
Conventional treatments have included drug therapy with NSAIDs, steroids, analgesics and other drugs to reduce symptoms, primarily to reduce pain. Since back arthritis is a chronic condition for most patients, pain control is essential and needs careful medical management and oversight. Strong drugs may be required to gain relief and these must be taken with care.
A new innovation in treating back pain from arthritis is the use of radio waves to stun or even destroy the pain nerves in the back. This is called radiofrequency ablation and has long been used to treat abnormal heartbeats by destroying erratic nerves in the heart. RF ablation can be used either as pulses or a continuous treatment to stun or destroy. Continuous flow with nerve destruction gives somewhat longer lasting relief, but is less effective when repeated. It is believed the pulsed therapy is safer and can be used effectively on a repeated basis.
Many traditional medical therapies are also effective. Some find excellent relief from chiropractic treatments, for example. Another traditional medicine is the ayurvedic approach. This uses specific herbs designed to dull pain and decrease inflammation in a sesame seed oil base. This is gently massaged into the painful joint two or three times a day and is safer than some commercial “heat” creams and lotions.
Working with a holistic physician who employs both high tech modern medicine and the traditional natural remedies may be the best choice for those wanting to explore all approaches to back arthritis for best results.
Resources
Report from the Mayo clinic on the use of radiofrequency ablation to treat chronic back arthritis pain: www.sciencedaily.com/releases/
Ayurvedic massage oil used to treat spinal arthritis pain: www.ayurvediccure.com/arthcareoil.htm
Fact sheet on back pain from the American College of Rheumatology: www.rheumatology.org/public/factsheets/
Information on back arthritis and its treatment from the Arthritis Foundation: ww2.arthritis.org/conditions/DiseaseCenter/back_pain.asp