Many of the people that have mild back pain can relieve it with simple pain medications such as Advil or Aleve. For the others, there is pretty much no relief or release of pressure other than a good old pain treatment such as physiotherapy or massage therapy. Some of the people that have minor back pain, basically get right back into the thick of things once they actually get back to their normal routines.  Considering the fact that the spinal column is covered up by muscle and is very delicate, this makes the back an extremely complicated system. The spinal column is basically 24 small bones and they have small cushions between them, which are called discs.

The vertebrae or backbones, and the discs that join them run from the pelvic area all the way up to the base of the skull. These discs and the facet bones in the back, allow for a great degree of movement in the back, as they are very flexible. There is also a main cavity within this network of bones called the spinal cord; this is where all the nerves from the brain run to the rest of the body by running down this channel. When all this channeling and the bones are just not working in conjunction there tends to be a let down, and something gives. Actually what gives is generally the back itself. Many times people seem to refer this letdown to a case of arthritis. Although many people do actually have arthritis and many times it can be in their backs, you cannot actually blame the condition of chronic or acute back pain to arthritis. This seems to be a common thought that arthritis is the sole contributor to back pains. It is true that arthritis can indeed offer up its own share of back pain, or any other pain for that matter the truth is the general causes of back pain are:

Poor sleep habits

Poor lifestyle

Sports injuries

Work injuries

Obesity

All of these means of obtaining acute, or chronic back pains have really nothing to do with arthritis. This is basically an easy way to find reason to blame any specific means to the arthritis. It is basically a very grim situation for people that suffer arthritis, not only do they go through a large amount of pain on a daily basis, this is not to say that they are not going through major back pain as well, but it can not be conclusively proven that it was the arthritis in the first place that started the back pain. Going into the medical journals it is easy to see why the problems with arthritis can be associated with back pain that is acute, and or chronic. The fact remains however, that it is not really associated with arthritis. Arthritis is a very painful situation in its own right; it really does not need to be placed in the same field. There are many pain medications associated with arthritis these days that could possibly curb the discomfort of a back pain that is mild, but for the major back pains that can easily stop someone from doing things that they would normally do on a daily basis, there is the need for major treatment such as:

Electrotherapy

Deep tissue massage

Major pain medications

Acupuncture

Physiotherapy

Pneumatic vests

And sometimes surgery

These are all great things that can cover some of the pains that people will feel when they have chronic or acute back pains. If you are suffering with major back pain, do not set and dwell on it goes to your doctor and have them refer you to a specialist.

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Rheumatoid Arthritis is more common in women than in men and will usually strike an adult between the ages of 20 to 50.  That is the general criteria for rheumatoid arthritis sufferers, but people over 50 and children can also be affected. 

Rheumatoid arthritis usually affects several joints at the same time.  The first parts of your body are usually your wrists, shoulders, hands, and feet.  As the disease gradually gets worse, it will attack the elbows, hips, neck, and jaw as well.  It normally affects both sides at the same time.

You may find small lumps under skin where there are pressure points near your elbows, hands, feet, and Achilles tendons.  They can affect other areas of your body, but that’s where they start.  At some point, you may experience rheumatoid nodules on the back of your scalp, around your knees, and even in your lungs.  They can affect your salivary glands, linings of your lungs and heart, and sometimes the tear duct glands.  These lumps are usually not painful.  They can be the size of a pea or the size of a walnut. 

There are some signs of rheumatoid arthritis.  Some of those signs are:

Aching and stiffness of joints and muscles, especially after a time of rest.

Pain and swelling in the joints, especially the smaller ones like in the hand.

Loss of motion in the joints.

Low-grade fever.

Strength is lost in the muscles attached to the affected joints.

Chronic fatigue when there is a flare-up of the disease.

Deformity of joints.

General sense of just not feeling well.  Unable to pinpoint exactly why they feel bad.

Any or all of these signs may come, go, and largely depend on what type of activity you are taking part in. 

Rheumatoid is a disease that doesn’t go away, but it does come in “episodes.”  A person may go into remission for a period, and then have another flare up of pain, swelling, weakness, and difficulty sleeping.  You may experience a flare up, and then have several weeks or months of remission before it attacks again.  There isn’t any reason why a person can’t be productive and useful lives while working around the attacks of your rheumatoid arthritis.

Some researchers theorize that rheumatoid arthritis could be the result of an infection or inflammation.  When your body experiences an infection or inflammation, it sends white blood cells through the bloodstream and attacks the lining of the joints.  Their usual job is to attack bacteria and viruses in the body, instead it attacks the lining of the joints. 

Other risk factors can increase your chances of having rheumatoid arthritis.  Risk is increased as you age.  The good news is if you are over the age of 80, the risk decreases.

You also have a higher risk of having rheumatoid arthritis if you are a woman, and if you have been exposed to a virus or bacteria. 

Although the disease is not inherited, there is evidence that specific genes you inherit could make you more prone to this arthritis. 

Last, smoking cigarettes over a many years can also increase your chances of rheumatoid arthritis. 

There isn’t a cure for rheumatoid arthritis yet.  Scientists and researchers are still searching for the cause when that is found hopefully a cure would follow.

With the proper treatment, change in lifestyles, and a plan to prevent joints a person may still be able to live a productive and long life.  Deformity or swelling may limit your flexibility, but even in the most severe form of rheumatoid arthritis, you will probably still keep flexibility in most of your joints.

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