With May being Arthritis Awareness Month, we raise awareness about this painful condition that affects 58 million Americans.1 Arthritis of the spine can take a toll on the body with nagging pain in your neck and back.
Neck and back arthritis refers to inflammation of the facet joints of the spine. It can be challenging to live with significant back pain every day. Additionally, you may also experience reduced mobility and inflammation. Various treatment options are available that may decrease pain and increase mobility.
These non-invasive treatment options can help for back and neck pain.
Nutrition
What you eat can be an effective natural treatment for spinal arthritis. Studies show that good diet and exercise effectively reduce inflammation, minimize pain, and increase mobility.2 Foods like nuts, seeds, fish, fruit, and vegetables lubricate your joints and reduce inflammation in our connective tissues.
Holistic alternatives
Treatments such as acupuncture, massage, ultrasound, and spinal manipulation can all help manage the symptoms associated with spinal arthritis. These treatments increase blood flow and reduce tension while potentially increasing flexibility within the spine.
Medications
Many medications are available to help relieve pain due to spinal arthritis. Analgesics, NSAIDs, and topical pain medications are the most commonly prescribed.
Spinal Injections
Pain and inflammation are reduced effectively with spinal injections. It is possible to alleviate pain by injecting anesthetic and epidural medications into specific joints and areas of the body.
Physical therapy
Physical therapy (PT) can help you manage arthritis, reduce discomfort, and increase mobility. PT also helps delay the progression of arthritis in the spine.
Exercise
Exercise keeps the muscles strong and decreases bone loss. Physical activity, like gentle swimming and yoga, can reduce pain and inflammation associated with arthritis.
Heat and cold therapy
Symptoms of arthritis may be eased with heat and cold therapy. Stiff joints may be soothed by heat therapy, which increases blood flow. Cold therapy, on the other hand, reduces stiffness and inflammation by constricting blood vessels. Alternate between the two for added pain relief.
When non-invasive therapies fail to provide lasting relief from your arthritis pain, then surgery may be your next best option.
At The Spine Clinic of Oklahoma City, we offer various treatment options for arthritic conditions that affect the spine. Our practice specializes in minimally invasive spine surgery and uses these techniques whenever possible to minimize tissue damage, pain, and recovery time.
Don’t let arthritis pain keep you from moving in May! Get help from experts at the Spine Clinic of Oklahoma and tackle your arthritis pain.
Dr. Doug Beacham III, DO is a fellowshipped-trained, dual-board certified physician in the fields of Anesthesiology and Pain Management (American Board of Anesthesiology). He has practiced in Oklahoma since 2013 and currently serves on the board of directors for the Oklahoma Pain Society. Dr. Beacham is proud to offer Oklahomans the most advanced and effective techniques capable of treating a full spectrum of acute and chronic conditions.
