When most of us hear the word “arthritis,” what we’re really picturing isn’t rheumatoid arthritis, but rather “osteoarthritis,” the most common form of the condition. The differences between the two forms vary drastically. Rheumatoid arthritis can be a crippling disease, and if you think you may be suffering from it, you should seek out a medical professional for treatment options right away.

What is Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)?

Rheumatoid arthritis affects the body’s flexible (Synovial) joints by inflaming and swelling the soft tissue (synovium) that surrounds these joints. In particular, two of these flexible joints related to your back and its dealings are:

• the shoulder (glenohumeral) joint
• the cervical spine –  the part located directly below your skull and above your ribcage

Smaller joints, like those in the cervical spine, are most commonly affected by rheumatoid arthritis, but larger joints, like the shoulder, can also be affected, although this is less common.

Why Back Pain?

When the soft tissue becomes inflamed and swells, the joint becomes less flexible, leading to stiffness and varying degrees of discomfort. If the joints of the shoulder and cervical spine are affected by rheumatoid arthritis, back pain will probably be a likely occurrence.

However, the pain caused by RA can be felt throughout your body, not just in the area of the affected joints. This means you may have back pain without having a swollen or inflamed joint associated with that part of your body.

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)Treatment Options

There is no cure for rheumatoid arthritis. However, through some treatments the destruction of the joints can be slowed, and the pain can be managed. These include, but are not limited to:

• DMARDs (Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs) – used to slow the disease by reducing the rate of bone and cartilage deterioration
  • DMARDs are the only type of drug that will slow the progression of rheumatoid arthritis
  • Prescribed, brand name drugs include: Plaquenil and Arava
  • NSAIDs (Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) – used to lessen symptoms of RA, such as inflammation of the joints, but do not slow the progress of joint damage
    • Ibuprofen and Aspirin are over-the-counter NSAIDs
    • Prescribed, brand name drugs include: Naprosyn and Naprelan
    • Painkillers – used to ease the pain caused by RA, but these do little else to help treat and manage the condition
      • Tylenol and general acetaminophen are over-the-counter pain relievers
      • Prescribed, brand name drugs include: Codeine and Vicodin
      • Cortisone Therapy – useful for suppressing inflammation of the joints in the short term, but research suggests it’s less effective over the long term
      • Physical Therapy – maintaining the flexibility and strength of your joints with regular exercise is important to living well with rheumatoid arthritis and will likely also ease the frequency and intensity of back pain
      • Surgery – sometimes surgery may be performed to slow the progress of the disease (before cartilage damage) or replace affected joints

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)Final Notes

If you believe you may have rheumatoid arthritis, please seek treatment from a qualified, medical professional. By following their advice and direction you may be able to greatly decrease both the destructive progress of the disease and the severity of the pain, including any back pain caused by RA or otherwise.

Only a medical professional can provide you with a correct diagnosis and course of treatment.  Please seek help for rheumatoid arthritis. There’s no need to suffer with the pain and swelling when treatments are widely available.

Could you use a dollar for every time either you or someone you know has said that? Back pain can be considered the root of all evils by those who suffer from it on a daily basis.

So what’s the solution?

Depends on what kind of pain you have and how severe it is.

If the pain is not debilitating, doing exercises tailored to your specific problem area can help relieve it, although unfortunately, it won’t cure it. Pain relievers (e.g., aspirin or ibuprofin) or a supportive brace are also effective. Sometimes epidural injections are successful as well, when administered up to three times over several months. Modifying your activities can also help, e.g., walking in a bent-over position while leaning on a walker or shopping cart, or riding a stationary bike instead of going for a walk. Sitting in a recliner instead straight up in a chair is also recommended.

If the pain is so severe that you can’t function the way you’d like to on a daily basis, surgery is probably the answer. It will relieve the pressure you’re feeling on your spine by widening the spinal canal. The narrowing of that canal is a common cause of spinal stenosis, and there are now minimally-invasive types of surgery in practice that can rectify that situation.

But wait – there’s more!

Even though it may seem like your back pain started out of the blue for no rhyme or reason, it’s actually been building up for months or even years. It’s very possible you’ve been moving your body in ways that have been putting stress and strain on your spine without your even knowing it. The result is that you’ve developed imbalances in your muscles, pulling your pelvis and spine out of alignment. Eventually, your spine rebels and says, “Enough already!” That’s when the pain kicks in.

So it’s important for you to work with a health professional to figure out where your muscle imbalances have been occurring. Once that’s been determined, you can start to correct the movements you’ve been making and the positions that have thrown your spine out of whack. The sooner you talk to your doctor about diagnosing your muscle imbalances, the sooner you’ll give relief to that aching back of yours!

Reduce harmful effects of medications
What most Americans forget is that Doctors of Chiropractic are highly trained in the treatment and prevention of all Back injuries without subjecting the patient to the potential harmful effects of medications.

Chiropractors use hands-on spinal adjustments
Hands-on spinal adjustments align the spine’s musculoskeletal structure to allow the body to heal itself without surgery or medication. Chiropractic is a beneficial alternative for Low Back Pain for relief of injuries to muscles, joints, bones and soft tissue structures, including the Intervertebral disc. Depending on the severity of the injury and lifestyle of the patient (active or sedentary), Chiropractic care is used in conjunction with conventional medical treatment.

Chiropractors give an extensive evaluation before beginning treatment
When visiting a Chiropractor for Low Back Pain you will undergo an extensive evaluation to determine the severity of injury, including a medical history, physical evaluation, and diagnostic testing if indicated.

What the Chiropractic treatment plan involves
The treatment plan may involve spinal adjustments, which increase mobility to joints and Range of Motion, therapeutic modalities to decrease tissue inflammation and muscular spasm and an exercise program to strengthen and stabilize the surrounding musculature, specifically the Core Muscles.
Spinal adjustments and Chiropractic care is considered a safe, effective treatment for acute and chronic Low Back conditions.

In most cases, a person with an ulcer will not have many symptoms other then the stomach issues. However, in more extreme cases an ulcer can cause back pain by the ulcer perforating the stomach wall. This is very serious and needs medical attention immediately.

Medical conditions other than an ulcer cause back pain when there are no ulcer symptoms. If you have ulcer symptoms or are receiving ulcer treatments and experience sudden back pain, consult your doctor immediately.

In some cases, people with ulcers will have symptoms that radiate throughout the body. This can easily be confused with other illnesses. A stabbing pain through the gut into the back area may travel into the chest area. This can be easily confused as a heart attack. Most ulcer pain stays in the abdomen area. Others have had symptoms that are much more severe. Nausea is often one of the symptoms of a heart attack. The same is true for an ulcer. In any case, the person needs medical attention immediately. Take all precautions if you have a ruptured stomach, as this can be as serious as a heart attack.