Dr. Stefano Sinicropi, M.D.

Back pain can develop for countless reasons, but when a doctor is providing a diagnosis, they are often trying to determine the underlying cause of your pain. And while there are a wide variety of subsets between these two distinctions, doctors often try to figure out if the patient is dealing with inflammatory or mechanical back pain. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at what it means to be dealing with inflammatory back pain, and how you can help treat the condition.

What Is Inflammatory Back Pain?

Inflammation is your body’s natural response to injury or infection. If your body detects a threat, white blood cells are produced to help the body deal with whatever is causing it harm. As these white blood cells help at the site of injury or infection, you may notice some subtle signs, like redness, swelling and localized stiffness.

An inflammatory reaction is supposed to happen when there is a threat to your body’s health, but sometimes your body triggers an inflammatory response without the presence of a real threat. In many cases, the body misinterprets something as a threat, and it leads to an inflammatory response. Certain autoimmune disorders can trigger chronic inflammation inside the body, which can lead to joint back.

When it comes to the spine, there are a couple of diseases that can trigger these types of chronic inflammatory responses. Some of those conditions that can affect the spine include:

• Ankylosing Spondylitis
• Psoriatic Arthritis
• Enteropathic Arthritis
• Spondylolisthesis

The two most common symptoms of an inflammation-related back issue is localized pain and stiffness. Because inflammation tends to limit the way in which soft tissues in our joints can freely move, odds are certain spinal movements may become difficult or painful. This tends to be most noticeable after a period of inactivity, like first thing in the morning or after you’ve been seated for an extended period.

Treating Inflammatory Back Pain

Finding the right treatment for inflammatory back pain isn’t always easy, but many times that’s because people are unsure of how to best proceed with finding help. Since there isn’t really a traditional cause of injury like there is with mechanical pain and trauma, many people think this discomfort is simply just a natural part of getting older. Because of this, they accept the pain until it becomes worse, at which point it’s even harder to treat.

It’s important to realize that back pain is never normal, and if you’re experiencing any of the symptoms above, consider talking to a back pain specialist about your discomfort. While arthritis can’t really be reversed, symptoms can be calmed and relief can be found with the help of a specialist. Some of the most common treatment plans for different causes of inflammatory spine pain include:

• Anti-inflammatories
• Medications
• Physical Therapy
• Gentle Exercise
• Dietary Changes
• Giving Up Smoking

Some people also find that it is helpful to work with a rheumatologist to help get a better understanding of their inflammatory condition. In many instances, a co-operative approach between a spine specialist and a rheumatologist can help you put an end to your inflammatory back pain and get you back to doing the activities you love.

So if you suspect that inflammatory back pain is what’s causing your spinal discomfort, reach out to Dr. Sinicropi’s team today.

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