Understanding Osteoarthritis
What is Osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis (also known as degenerative joint disease) is the most common and often painful form of arthritis, and is a common cause of back pain among people over age 50. Arthritis refers to a range of diseases that cause tenderness, pain, and stiffness to the joints and soft tissue of the body.
Under normal circumstances, the joints of the body move very easily, without a lot of friction or rubbing. When the joint degenerates, however, the soft tissue and cartilage around the joint becomes worn out, allowing joint halves to rub against each other and causing inflammation, pain, and tenderness to occur. Sometimes osteoarthritis can create bone spurs, also known as osteophytes, which cause the joints to wear and rub against each other as well.
Factors that often determine if a person will have osteoarthritis include:
- Aging. As the spinal joints wear from age, the cushion between the joints will continue to wear.
- Having a job that requires repetitive motions. Athletes and jobs involving heavy objects and motions are especially vulnerable
- Being Overweight. The additional weight causes more stress on the weight-bearing joints and the spine.
- Gender. Older women are most likely to have the condition.
- Genetics. Having a family history of osteoarthritis makes a person more likely to have the condition.
When this condition affects the spinal joints, it is known as spinal osteoarthritis (or osteoarthritis of the spine). Most of the time, spinal osteoarthritis will affect a specific set of joints in the back of the spinal column known as facet joints.
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