If you were recently injured, then you might be wondering whether you have back pain from the injury or whether your arthritis is flaring up. Car accidents and sports injuries are common incidents that can lead to back pain. When you are looking for back pain treatment, your Tucker chiropractor can help determine the root cause of your discomfort and develop an appropriate treatment plan accordingly. Arthritis and injuries can cause inflammation, so your chiropractor will want to find the source of the inflammation to help provide you with lasting relief from back pain.
How Arthritis Can Affect the Spine
Arthritis refers to inflammation in the joints. The spine is made up of vertebrae, which are actually individual joints connected from your neck to your lower back. Inflammation in and around any one of these vertebrae due to arthritis can cause stiffness and pain. If you have arthritis in your back, then you may lose some flexibility in your spine, like being unable to fully straighten your back or turn your head too far in one direction or the other. Soreness and stiffness are common symptoms of arthritis in the spine, along with swelling and pain.
Acute Injuries to the Spine
A sudden or acute injury to the spine can also cause pain, swelling, and inflammation. A herniated disc is a common spinal injury that can cause these symptoms as well as tingling, numbness, and weakness. If you suffered a blow to the spine from a car accident or while playing a sport, you could experience spinal cord compression. When the back muscles that support your spine are also injured, it can affect their ability to provide proper stability to the spine. Inflammation in soft tissues around the spine can also compress nearby nerves, which can lead to nerve damage symptoms like the pins and needles sensation.
Arthritis Flare-Up After a Spinal Injury
It is also possible to experience a flare-up with your arthritis after an injury. If you recently suffered a spinal injury or injury to your back, swelling and inflammation in the area can cause a ripple effect that aggravates your arthritis. When the facet joints that connect two vertebrae become inflamed, you may start to experience arthritis symptoms. Post-traumatic arthritis is a type of condition you can develop when you already have wear and tear on a joint that then suffers a physical injury. Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis and refers to inflammation that develops as the cartilage around the joint slowly wears out. A physical injury can also cause this type of physical trauma.
Diagnosing Arthritis vs. an Injury
In order to diagnose what is causing your back pain, your doctor will want to perform a physical examination of your spine and back. They will also want to hear about what symptoms you have been experiencing and if you have noticed pain getting worse with certain movements and motions. They may also want to run tests, like an X-ray or CT scan. These diagnostic imaging tools provide your doctor with a better look at the spine and whether any injury has occurred. An X-ray or CT scan can also help rule out an injury and allow your doctor to determine if you are struggling with arthritis back pain instead.
Back Pain Treatment Options
Your back pain treatment will depend on the root cause. If you are experiencing back pain due to arthritis, then your doctor will work with you to manage your arthritis pain. For an all-natural approach to your back pain treatment, you can visit a back pain chiropractor who can use non-invasive techniques to promote healthy functioning and healing in the spine. Chiropractic techniques like spinal adjustments can help restore proper spinal alignment and reduce swelling and inflammation. Your doctor may also recommend physical therapy, including stretches and exercises that will help improve strength in your back muscles and increase the range of motion in your spine. Back pain treatment for an injury may be slightly different, especially depending on where the injury occurred along the spine and what other parts of the body were affected.
Visit AICA Orthopedics in Tucker, and our team of doctors can help determine what is causing your back pain. We provide each person with personalized care and back pain treatment that is safe and effective.