4 Signs Your Back Pain Is Actually Arthritis

A backache that won’t quit may not just be from shoveling, lifting too-heavy weights, or wearing too-high heels. These telltale signs suggest it could be osteoarthritis, or arthritis of the spine:

You wake up to pain

If your back hurts when you first get out of the bed in the morning, the pain may caused by the inflammation characteristic of arthritis. “When there’s inflammation, it’s not the arthritic changes that bother you, it’s the nerve,” says Mark Mickhael, MD, of the Illinois Bone & Joint Institute.

Pain can also be caused by a herniated disc, as it pushes out and hits the nerves in your spinal cord. Herniated discs are common with degenerative disc disease, which often accompanies osteoarthritis, or arthritis of the spine.

Look out for back pain that lasts for roughly 30 minutes in the morning and then goes away. “With arthritis, the pain tends to get better during the day, but then in the evening it feels a little worse,” says Prakash Jayabalan, MD, of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. Evening pain may not be from arthritis, however, but rather from the stress of daily activities such as sitting at work.

Other body parts hurt, too

When arthritis of the spine advances, wear and tear on the vertebrae can cause a pinching or compressing of the spinal cord and nerves. Since the nerves running down your back connect to different areas of your body, you could end up feeling pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness in your hips, butt, legs, and feet. “Those nerves go down the muscles of your legs, so that can cause weakness,” Dr. Jayabalan adds.

Your spine feels extra stiff

“Even if you’re not in pain, you may feel stiff in the morning,” Dr. Jayabalan says. In most cases, this stiffness will wear off as you start walking around, but the pain may return at night as the joints are stressed from the day. Bending over and arching your back may be particularly painful, and the pain can migrate—one day affecting a shoulder and the next day affecting your neck, and so on.

The pain keeps getting worse

Everyone experiences pain differently, and there’s no right or wrong time to see a doctor. “Some patients come in because of a very new pain,” Dr. Jayabalan says, “and others come after months or even years of suffering a twinge here and a twinge there.” Dr. Mikhael recommends seeing a doctor if the pain comes and goes for more than four to six weeks.

Most pulled muscles and other minor injuries heal over that period of time, so if the pain persists and especially if it gets worse, schedule an appointment.

Facebook
Twitter
WhatsApp
Pinterest
Reddit
LinkedIn
Facebook
Twitter
WhatsApp

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

READ NEXT

8 Things That Can Damage Your Liver

Most people associate alcohol abuse with damage to the liver, but other factors can also play a role. These are the health conditions, drugs, and lifestyle habits that can cause

6 Natural Ways to Improve Your Memory Easily

A little bit of jogging is always a good idea Jogging regularly balances your heart rate, which increases the flow of blood to your brain, thereby boosting your memory power.

8 Signs You Might Have Hypothyroidism

Disorders regarding the thyroid gland are pretty common. In fact, approximately 12 percent of Americans will deal with a thyroid issue at some point. Sadly, it appears that 60 percent

6 Reasons Why You’re Losing Your Hair

Have you ever thought why you are losing your hair? There are many causes, but the most certain thing is that men are more likely to lose their hair than

12 Frozen Meals You Should Avoid at All Costs

Gluten-Free Smoked Gouda Mac & Cheese Just because it’s gluten-free, it doesn’t mean it’s healthy. This apparently delicious option, for example, contains 31 grams of mostly saturated fat. The problem,

Clear Signs You’re Having an Allergic Reaction

As you know, your immune system guards your body against harmful bacteria and viruses. In certain cases, your immune system will also defend against substances that normally don’t pose a

8 Signs You Might Need an Eye Exam Immediately

According to the report for the 2016 National Health Interview Survey, 25.5 million Adult Americans 18 and older reported experiencing vision loss. No one wants to experience vision loss, so

Scroll to Top