The word â??arthritis,â?? which literally means â??inflammation of the joint,â?? is used to describe a group of distinct diseases. These conditions all have in common symptoms of pain, swelling, and stiffness of the joints and the tissues surrounding them.

Back pain is very common. How many times have you lifted something that was too heavy and felt the effects for days? Back pain is one of the leading causes of disability and loss of work in the United States. Arthritis is one possible cause of back pain.

Causes of Lumbosacral Arthritis

The exact cause of lumbar and lumbosacral arthritis is unknown. Some degeneration of the spine is thought to be the result of the normal aging process, but sometimes an old injury or a direct blow to the spine will play a role. Also, people whose occupations require heavy lifting, long periods of sitting or driving, or other repetitive pressures on the backbone are also at risk for arthritis in this part of the spine.

Symptoms of Lumbar and Lumbosacral Arthritis

Pain, swelling and stiffness in the joints are the most common symptoms of all types of arthritis. With lumbosacral arthritis, the pain may be concentrated in the pelvic region or between the lower rib cage and buttocks. Low back pain is associated with leg pain, numbness, tingling or weakness in the legs. Often it results in change in posture. This can lead to pain in other weight-bearing joints such as the knee, hip and ankle.

Treatment

Proper treatment can provide relief from the pain. There are remedies that can help you control this pain. While many people with chronic low back pain are tempted to limit their physical activity and exercises, this is ill advised. You may find that you need to rest more frequently, but exercise should become part of your daily regimen. By increasing physical fitness, your back may become stronger and you may increase your overall feeling of well-being. You should work with your doctor or physiotherapist on developing an exercise program designed to strengthen your lower back.

Physical Therapy

orthopedic patients typically have a deficiency that needs to be addressed. For example, patients with carpal tunnel syndrome may have weakness of specific hand muscles that require targeted exercises. Or knee conditions such as chondromalacia may be due in part to muscle imbalance around the knee joint. A physical therapist can teach exercises that specifically target these muscles to improve function and decrease problems.

Alternative Treatments

Alternative treatments include acupuncture, massage, magnet therapy, natural remedies, and others. There is no doubt that many patients find significant relief from these types of treatments. While the scientific studies are lacking to support these treatments, most have few side-effects and are reasonable treatments to attempt.

Surgery

Surgical procedures for lumbar and lumbosacral arthritis are relatively rare. Still, they may be considered in the event that conservative therapy does not bring about sufficient pain relief. Open surgery, using general anesthesia, may be recommended for selected patients. A technique known as a laminectomy is often used in cases of spinal stenosis â??- a condition related to arthritis of the spine — to widen the area available to the spinal cord.

The most common arthritis symptoms are persistent pain in one or more joints. Most people will overlook these arthritis symptoms and just tell themselves it’s overuse. Other folks will head straight to the doctors office to find out for sure.

What category do you belong too?

Education is a key ingredient in helping you determine if you indeed have arthritis or simply arthritis symptoms. Below are the most common arthritis symptoms and later we will briefly explain each one in great detail.

6 most common arthritis symptoms

* persistent joint pain in several areas

* redness, swelling and stiffness

* point tenderness

* decrease in range of motion (flexibility)

* your joints start to deform

* always feeling tired, extreme fatique and weakness

Please remember, arthritis symptoms are usually associated with a joint. Don’t get it confused with muscles that surround the joint. A great example of this would be your back. Oftentimes the muscles that run top to bottom, are the ones that cause the pain, not the vertebrae.

* persistent joint pain in several areas is a warning sign and should be investigated quickly. Age is not a factor in arthritis because we have a friend who’s daughter is fighting arthritis at the tender age of 13. Like her father, she has specific pain in certain joints and has a difficult time playing sports. With the help of some awesome doctors at Children’s hospital in Seattle, she is able to play a lot more than last year.

* redness, swelling and stiffness are usually noticed in your hands and feet. This is a great indicator of arthritis and one that can be seem easily with the eye. Spouses are excellent at recognization of this because they know you so well and see you everyday.

* specific pain in a specific spot usually makes you jump when someone touches this area. Again, don’t confuse this with muscles because your joints are surrounded by muscle tissue. Sometimes the way you walk, will trigger this arthritis pain and sometimes it’s simply contact with an object that creates that burning feeling.

* decrease in range of motion (flexibility) is a normal process as we age. However, rapid loss of flexibility is not normal. Only you can detect the decrease in your range of motion and it is something you should (stretching) do daily to help all aspects of your body. A great self checker is trying to keep your legs straight and touch your toes. Go ahead and give it a try, how far can you make it?

* your joints start to deform. Not much needs to be said about this, YOU will know if this happens. If you are a spouse please understand the person who is watching their body start to deform, is feeling lousy. They believe their body is failing them and could go into a mild case of depression. So be careful and help them understand what is going on.

* always feeling tired, extreme fatique and weakness. This is a tougher one to detect because there are so many variables. Things like sickness, overwork or a couple of days working in the yard the first day of spring can make detection nearly impossible. What you should look for are these signs away from activity. Usually after a few days of recovery the body will heal itself, but in the case of arthritis it continues.

I sincerely hope these 6 arthritis symptoms are not a part of you. If they are, don’t panic because there is a ton of help. I personally believe in healing yourself from the inside out, which includes 3 solid meals containing a lot of fruits and vegetables, lots of liquid and supplementation. Water will also make your kidneys very happy and hopefully you’ve never had kidney stones, they hurt.

If you are considering supplementing be sure to get our free report on the top 7 arthritis treatment ingredients that is known to help reduce arthritis.

Best Wishes for a pain free day.