Dr. Stefano Sinicropi, M.D.

Back pain comes in all different forms and levels of discomfort, and oftentimes it can be difficult to figure out what’s going on in your spine unless you get an official diagnosis from a specialist. However, there are signs and symptoms to look for that can give you an indication as to what type of condition you may be dealing with. In today’s blog, we showcase four signs that suggest your back pain may be caused by underlying spinal arthritis.

4 Signs Of Spinal Arthritis

A lot of people deal with daily back pain or discomfort, but if we’re describing your type of pain with the following points, there’s a chance your discomfort is derived from spinal arthritis.

1. It Keeps Getting Worse – Pain from injuries like strains or sprains tends to be worse at the outset and tends to feel better as time goes on. On the flip side, pain from spinal arthritis tends to get worse over time because it is caused by underlying structure degeneration. This degeneration isn’t going to reverse on its own, so if you’re not actively treating the condition it only tends to get worse and make back pain even more noticeable.
2. Stiffness Has Become More Common – Your back may feel a little stiff after a long work day or after an extended session in the car, but if stiffness becomes more common after shorter instances of inactivity, it could be because of arthritic degeneration in your spinal joints. If your spine has lost flexibility or it just takes more time to prepare your spine for normal activity, it’s a sign of some level of arthritic degeneration. It may not be painful, but this stiffness can be avoided with some simple lifestyle adjustments, so don’t just power through the stiffness. Talk to your spine specialist or look for ways to keep your spine flexible as you age.
3. Can’t Fall Or Stay Asleep – Spinal arthritis oftentimes affects a person’s ability to achieve restful sleep. Arthritic joints may become uncomfortable when you’re lying down and they are dealing with different gravitational forces. For many people, lying down is a way to alleviate back pain, but if your back makes it hard for you to fall asleep and stay asleep, consider talking to a specialist about treating your arthritis. Failing to achieve quality sleep can make spinal conditions more uncomfortable, so oftentimes it takes professional intervention to break out of the cycle of back pain and difficulty sleeping.
4. Pain In Other Joints – If pain isn’t just contained to your spine, you may be dealing with spinal arthritis. Spinal arthritis can alter our gait and lead us to put abnormal forces on other areas, like our hips and knees. If those areas begin to become painful alongside your spinal pain, it’s a sign that arthritis is causing problems for your back and other joints. Common areas of the body that can begin to hurt due to ignored spinal arthritis are the knees, hips, feet and neck, so watch for pain in these areas as well.

If you’re dealing with any of the above symptoms, or you just want to gain control over your chronic back pain, reach out to Dr. Sinicropi and his experienced team today for a diagnosis and an individualized treatment plan.

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