Introduction to Lumbar Arthritis
Back pain is very common. How many times have you lifted something wrong or too heavy and felt a twinge in your back that lasts for days? Back pain is one of the most frequent complaints, and one of the leading causes of disability, and loss of work in the United States of America. Lumbar Arthritis is a form of arthritis that affects your lower back and pelvis. Lumbar arthritis causes pain, inflammation and the loss of motion in these areas. The word, arthritis, means inflammation of your joints and, is used to describe a group of different types diseases.
If you are like most people, you probably will experience some backache in your lifetime. While pain can be a discomfort, it can happen anywhere in your back but most likely affect your lower back.
Factors Of Lumbar Arthritis
Although anyone can have back pain, but there are a number of factors that increases your risk of getting back pain. These factors include: age, being physically fit, your diet, heredity can play an important role, your race, your job, presence of other diseases and smoking. Yes, smoking! It may not be a direct cause, but it can increase you risk of developing low back pain.
Causes Of Lumbar Arthritis
There are a lot of possible injuries of your lower back, and the first priority is to find out what is causing the pain. Usually you will feel, back pain after lifting something heavy, or the wrong way, moving suddenly, sitting in one position for a ling time, or by injury or an accident.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Lumbar Arthritis
Most back problems can get better on their own. However, the key is to know when to see your doctor, as your back pain could get worse overtime. This is because the low back supports most of your bodys weight and can easily get injured. Only with your medical history, exam, and possible some tests, can the doctor diagnose lumbar arthritis. Many times, the exact cause is not known but in these cases it may be comforting to know that most back pain gets better whether or nor not you find out what the cause is.
Most tests include blood work, x-rays, and MRIs, to determine what the cause it.
Medications should help reduce the pain and swelling, and short periods of rest. However, it is better to stay active, and to use the lowest possible dose of pain medication. Heat, ice and massage have proven to be beneficial when treating lumbar arthritis and some people find that acupuncture offers relief.
Living with lumbar arthritis is a challenging experience. You should keep well informed about what you can do or use to help reduce the pain and be able to function normally within your range of daily activies. |
