Spinal Arthritis Symptoms ?

[hellotreena]

Hello, I was recently diagnosed with having Arthritis of the spine. I had an MRI done and it showed I have it in my upper spine well the symptoms are really scary so I thought I would list what I go through and maybe someone can tell me if this sounds like right to you because sometimes I think I have something worse going on like MS or Lymes Diseas.. these are my symptoms:

Muscle tightness or numbing all over my body also comes with a burning sensation . I specially feel this in the back of the neck and across my shoulders but I also get headaches that start at the back of my skull and wrap around into my face they are awful and sometimes effect my concentration...I get shooting pain in my back specially between my shoulder blades and into the middle of my back....sometimes the pain extends into my fingertips as well.....the scary part is the numbness I get down both arms and into my legs sometimes it feels like I am going paralyzed it's very scary does anyone else get these symptoms???

[libertygyrl]

Hi - maybe consult with a really good chiropractor as well - mine has helped my arthritis in my spine tremendously, and I haven't had nearly as much low back pain from my compressed disks since I've been going to see one.  I can stand up straight now, no more tingling in arms and/or legs.  No more headaches either.  Massage therapy and muscle relaxers/anti-inflammatories help a lot too, as needed and in combination with good chiropractic work.  Good luck!

[carolanivey]

You're welcome. Ask your doctor and your rheumatologist, when you see one, for a list of exercises that strengthen your core and stretch your back. They may appear so simple that you wonder how they can possibly work, but they do!

The rheumie will be able to make a proper diagnosis but I'm going to hazard a guess that you are suffering osteo-arthritis (the wear and tear type that results from age, injury or deformity), not rheumatoid (the auto-immune type). It's not that RA doesn't affect the spine, but from what I understand, it rarely affects the spine *alone*. If it was auto-immune, you'd most likely have pain, swelling, redness and heat in other joints. Low-grade fever and a flu-like symptoms are other symptoms of RA.

I'm fairly certain pain management techniques will be tried first, such as physical therapy, exercises and stretches, maybe pain patches or a nerve block injection. Perhaps a mild muscle relaxer (don't be afraid of these, just don't take one and drive!) and/or NSAID, aka non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication. Xrays and maybe an MRI will be ordered.

You might be referred to an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in spines. This doesn't mean you'll necessarily have surgery; he or she deals with spines and only spines on a daily basis so he may have more non-surgical ideas for you.

I understand your reluctance to "fill your body with drugs", but let me just say that my "cocktail" of meds allows me to live something close to a normal life, so don't discount medication out of hand. :)

Hang in there!

[hellotreena]

Thank you for your honesty I can tell you that when I am in a stressful enviroment my sypmtoms are far worse like you said... I have no problem with exercise if I can find the right kind that I need to be doing....I will do anything to relieve all the pressure I have been feeling it's really bad at times...the tingling and burning scare me sometimes and I will panic and have to pull myself out of it... through deep relaxation breathing... I have an appoitment tomorrow with my family physican I will ask him to refer me to a rheumatoligist  to see if they can help me. I know I do not want to fill my body with drugs that could cause side effects and lead to more panic...thank you I will keep you posted..

Treena

[carolanivey]

It may sound counter-intuitive, but exercise is your best friend when it comes to back pain. Strong, toned core muscles will support your back better than out-of-shape muscles. The weaker your muscles, the higher your pain level.

Tight muscles become tired, sore and inflamed; the swelling presses on sensitive nerves, leading to tingling, numbness, headaches, etc. as you are finding out. Stress/worry only exacerbates the problem. Sometimes you can worry to the point of a mild panic attack, which often manifests as tingling and numbness in your extremities, shortness of breath and a feeling of being paralyzed. A friend of mine does have MS and her symptoms don't line up with yours; having said that, everyone is different.

Have you been evaluated for auto-immune disorders, or are you self-diagnosing based on your symptoms? If your instincts are telling you something is wrong, go to a rheumatologist for a proper work-up and a second opinion. Blood tests never tell the whole story; a good rheumie will probably do a whole set of x-rays and lay hands/eyes on your sore areas. Take your written MRI results and films with you.

I have had rheumatoid arthritis (the auto-immune type) virtually all my life. If I am diligent about doing my abdominal exercises and back stretches, my back pain in minimal. Also, I've had neck involvement for decades and have benefited greatly from visits to a pain management clinic, where they taught me simple exercises to stretch and relax those c-spine muscles.

Whenever you feel that tingling and numbness coming on, take a few minutes to find a quiet, dim/dark place, close your eyes and just breathe deeply for several minutes. You might find this helps. If not, well, come back here and feel free to yell at me. :)

Hugs, and good luck!!