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Spinal Arthritis Symptoms

Spinal arthritis symptoms are numerous and can range from tenderness and swelling, to numbness and trouble with general mobility. Symptoms vary based on the severity of your spinal arthritis and the type of arthritis you have.

Osteoarthritis of the spine, also called wear-and-tear arthritis, is a type of spinal arthritis that is defined as cartilage degeneration in the facet joints and eventually, the discs of the spine. A normal facet joint is able to comfortably because of a layer of cartilage. Cartilage pads, called intervertebral discs, also are located in between each vertebral body and provide cushioning for the spine. However, osteoarthritis causes cartilage to become thin, dry, and degraded. This means there is very little to pad the facet joints or vertebrae when your body moves, making it feel as if raw bone is rubbing against raw bone. Spinal arthritis symptoms for osteoarthritis include:

• Limited range of motion
• Back and neck pain that comes and goes
• Throbbing
• Stiffness
• Sciatica
• Diminished flexibility
• Locking of joints
• Weakness and numbness in the extremities
• Radiculopathy (radiating pain, tingling, etc.)

Spinal rheumatoid arthritis is another form of spinal arthritis that is characterized by severe inflammation of the facet joints in the spine. This is an autoimmune disorder, which means the body’s immune system is attacking its own tissue. In the case of rheumatoid arthritis, the body attacks synovial membranes in joints (including spinal joints), leading to joint inflammation that can compress nerve fibers traveling through the spinal column. Rheumatoid spinal arthritis symptoms include:

• Warm pain
• Joint inflammation
• Pain at the base of the skull
• Numbness, weakness, and tingling sensations
• Deformity of spine
• Ankylosis (abnormal joint stiffness)
• Trouble walking and loss of coordination
• Fatigue

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Regardless of the severity of your case, spinal arthritis symptoms cause daily debilitating pain. Laser Spine Institute (LSI) can offer more information on minimally-invasive, endoscopic procedures that can help those memories of a pain-free life become a reality once again. Contact us for a free review of your MRI or CT scan.