As you age, your risk of developing arthritis in your joints increases. This increase in risk includes the many joints in your back. Arthritis can keep you from the activities you love, and it can disrupt your daily routine. Luckily, it is possible to find relief from arthritis.

At The Spine Care Center in Manassas, we provide expert diagnosis and treatment of arthritis of the spine. Our treatments include nerve blocks and minimally invasive surgery. If you have the following signs of spine arthritis, you should make an appointment with one of our spine doctors.

You Have Back Pain

Back pain is the most common symptom of arthritis of the spine. It can occur anywhere, from your neck all the way down to your lower back. Pain caused by arthritis in your spine may improve with over-the-counter pain medicines, but it will usually keep coming back. If you’ve experienced back or neck pain for weeks, you may have spine arthritis and should make an appointment to be evaluated by our experienced spine doctors as soon as you can.

Your Back is Stiff in the Morning, But More Painful in the Evening

Arthritis can cause joints to swell and fill with fluid. This fluid is more likely to build up overnight as you are resting and not moving much. In the morning, you may find that your back feels stiff and less flexible.

It may be difficult to bend it in certain ways within the first 30 minutes of being awake. However, as you begin to move around more, you find that your flexibility returns. If your frequently experience back stiffness in the morning, then it may be time to contact The Spine Care Center for an evaluation of the state of your back.

While more movement increases your spine’s flexibility, you may also find that it makes pain worse. You may not feel much arthritis pain in the afternoon when your back has had hours to warm up with movement or activity, but by the evening, your back pain will probably return. Worse yet, it may get worse in the evening depending on your activity level that day. If you frequently experience back stiffness in the morning and pain at night, then it may be time to contact The Spine Care Center for an evaluation of your back.

Your Back Pain Keeps You Awake

Another serious sign of arthritis of the spine is back pain so bad that it keeps you awake at night. If your pain has reached this level, then it is certainly time to talk to our spine physicians about finding relief. Sleep is an important part of health; you shouldn’t let pain disrupt it.

Your Spine is “Grinding”

Finally, arthritis in your spine can lead to a “grinding” feeling when you move. This often feels like your bones are rubbing against each other. In some serious cases, you may even hear grinding or popping sounds when you move in certain ways.

One reason you may feel this grinding is because your cartilage (the cushion between bones) is damaged and weakened. Thinned cartilage is a major source of pain, swelling, and inflammation in spine arthritis. The sensation of a grinding spine is a symptom of spine arthritis that should be evaluated by a professional, such as a spine care physician.

Thankfully, it is often possible for you to find relief from these symptoms of arthritis. Call The Spine Care Center in Manassas today at (703) 257-2266 or request an appointment online for an accurate diagnosis and to learn about your treatment options. If you have back or neck pain, chances are the expert spine physicians at The Spine Care Center have treated a similar problem thousands of times. Let them help you feel normal again.

Schedule your appointment with our office today!