Arthritis Of The Hands

Arthritis Of The Spine

Arthritis of the spine can become very painful and incapacitating and usually affects persons age forty and older. If it is not treated it can lead to numerous problems including the muscles slowly breaking down along with psychological problems such as depression. The pain from this disease can cause a person to remain in bed for days and limit or stop physical activities they once enjoyed.

Spinal arthritis occurs in the vertebral joints. The joints join the vertebra together and are found in the rear portion of the spine. These joints assist movements of the spine such as stretching and twisting. As a person becomes older these joints can become thick and hard. Receiving a diagnoses of arthritis of the spine usually means that cartilage has broken down in these joints which can bring mild to moderate pain. The pain can possibly radiate to other locations of the body such as the upper thighs.

The joints can become inflamed and continuing degeneration of the joints will produce greater frictional pain. This results in back pain, decreased motion and flexibility even when walking.

Causes of spinal arthritis

Imbalances in stress, hormone and nutritional levels are the main causes of spinal arthritis. When muscle imbalances occur it negatively affects the posture. This cause can be different from person to person however, most of the times degeneration in the bones and calcium build up are the cause.

At times past injuries and surgeries can cause the arthritis. Nerves can become pinched or compacted resulting in severe pain and even numbness in areas of the body. Many persons who endure arthritis of the spine also are affected by herniated discs and bone spurs.

Symptoms of spinal arthritis

The most common symptoms of spinal arthritis include pain and numbness which is located in the back, head, neck or shoulders. Some areas may feel sore and throb occasionally and at times can even persist throughout the night. Everyday movements such as bending or twisting can also cause pain. Numbness in the neck is usual however, other areas can also have numbness such as the legs. In some instances frequent urination or the urge to urinate will occur.

Most common symptoms

Joint pain in the spine that is caused by bone rubbing against bone.

The developing of bone spurs around the joints of the spine.

The sensation of tingling, numbness and weak feeling in joints caused by the nerves becoming tight or the nerve roots.

Stiffness and limited movement in the joints of the back especially in the morning hours.

A sound which is like grinding or popping that happens when the bones of the joints rub against each other.

Traditional Treatments

Most traditional treatments include using a cervical collar to limit movement in the neck and back. Other bracing may also be used.

Medications such as Tylenol or even prescriptions such as codeine.

Most of the traditional treatments have been known not to work. They do not manage to provide long term relief and do not treat the cause of the problem only the symptom such as pain.

Many people today look outside of conventional medicine to find relief for the pain that will last on a long term scale. There are alternative treatments which have been found very effective in the management and treatment of spinal arthritis.

Chiropractic

Many patients use chiropractic care for arthritis due to the fact to control their pain, heard it is effective, it has helped someone they know and they simply do not wish to have to constantly medicate.

Chiropractic treatments use manipulations or adjustments relieve pain, stress and injury of the joints along with other parts of the body. The use manipulation of the spinal cord along with other therapeutic treatments if needed.

Research has shown that chiropractic treatments with using manipulations of the spine and nerves improve the symptoms of the arthritis and at times can make the symptoms almost non-existent.

The adjustments consist of the patient being put in a certain position which depends on which joint is being adjusted. The proper amount of force is applied to the joint by the chiropractor using his hands.

The thrust will let movement in the joint occur.

Trigger point therapy releases the trigger points that are halting the total lengthening of the muscles which causes range of motion to become limited. Trigger point employes fiber friction massage, longitudinal muscle stripping and manual compression.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture in many studies has been proven effective to relieve the chronic pain of arthritis. Acupuncture releases the endorphins which are the bodies natural pain killers. When stimulated the muscles transmit a message to the spinal cord which causes the release of the endorphins. The endorphins block messages to the brain of pain.

During a treatment the acupuncturist will swab each area to be used with alcohol. Then hair thin needles are inserted into the points on the body. The number of needs depends on the severity and also the depth of the needles. The acupuncturist will determine the points needed to be used. Then the needles are inserted under the skin.

The length of time is also dependent upon the pain level. They can stay inserted from a few minutes and up to one hour. The needles during the treatment may be twirled, electrically charged or warmed.

In a series of treatments different combinations of points will be used and or different needling techniques. Acupuncture unlike medications gives the acupuncturist an immediate response to the treatment so they will be able to determine if they need to change the treatment.

Muscle Balance Therapy

Muscle balance therapy is a contemporary approach to reduce and note to eliminate back pain. An evaluation of muscles including hips, pelvis and spine is conducted first for strength and flexibility. Both physical and visual evaluations are made. This is done to ensure you are not at risk by doing any of the exercises recommended.

The therapy aims at a program of corrective exercises designed for each individual based on their own evaluation that will target reduction of stress on the muscles and alignments so your body is more in balance and pain eliminated.

In order for the therapy to provide effective results, you must commit to following the exercises and doing the requirement. Even if total pain relief is not provided there will be a remarked reduction in pain.

Biofeedback

Biofeedback teaches the patient to control involuntary reactions such as muscle tension and pain. Biofeedback has aided many persons to control the pain from spinal arthritis.

The biofeedback therapist will place to certain points on the body. Then the sensors are connected to certain types of equipment such as a computer which is specifically designed to watch the patients psychological reactions.

The therapist teaches the patient physical and mental exercises which are aimed specifically at their disorder. Such as learning how to control a group of muscles in the lower back area. Visualization and breathing techniques may also be taught.

During the training the patient is alerted of their progress by the equipment. Such as the equipment may give an alert by a buzzing sound to reassure the patient that they are showing improvement in learning how to control a certain reaction.

Once the patient has fully comprehended the technique, the equipment is not needed.

The treatment lengths can be as few as ten or as great as fifty. The number of sessions needed is dependent on the severity and the patient. Sometimes a patient may require five sessions a week while others may need only one or two.

This type of therapy may not be suitable for all patients. If there are no noted results within ten sessions it strongly indicates that this type of treatment will not benefit the patient and they should look into other alternative treatments.

Please note if you have a pacemaker do not use this treatment. The equipment used can interfere with the operation of the pacemaker.

Herbs

Cats Claw is showing good scientific results for arthritis. Cats Claw comes in tablet form and can be purchased at most pharmacies and health food stores. It has minimal side effects however, just like many herbs it can interfere with certain medications, so it is best to check with health care practitioner before using. Cats Claw blocks some of the substances in the body that produces pain. It has been shown to reduce pain and pain along with providing energy.

Echinacea strengthens the immune system and is useful for arthritis due to the fact it aides the body in building up resistance against fatigue and illness.

Green tea in recent studies has shown that green tea can obstruct inflammation. Green tea treats the cells needed to hinder the chemicals in the body that cause joint damage. Research has shown it blocks that same chemicals that biological drugs block. Currently, it is noted that one cup of green tea to start with is an effective treatment.

Thunder God Vine has shown in improvement of arthritis symptoms when taken. This herb will treat the inflammation and over activity of the immune system. Research has shown more improvement in joint pain, inflammation and swelling was noted in patients taking this herb than the results from the medication sulfasalazine.

There are several precautions and warnings attached to this herb.

Due to severe side effects and can be poisonous if extreme care is not used in extracting from the skinned root. It is advised to purchase only from a well known manufacturer.

Diarrhea, nausea and upper respiratory infections have occurred from using this herb. It can also cause skin rash, hair loss and stop menstrual cycle in women.

Correct dosage is yet to be exactly determined. Therefore, if you wish to try this herb consult your health care practitioner who can advise you on the dosage and side effects you possibly could encounter.

Sources:

Medical News Today

ACA Today

Science Daily

Solve Your Problem

E Medicine

TMC

Lose The Back

Spine Universe

Arthritis Today

National Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine

A & L Chiropractic Center