If you have spinal arthritis in your low back, you probably don’t have to be told how painful and limiting it can be.
Osteoarthritis(anywhere in the body) starts with the erosion of the cartilage in joints.(Cartilage is a softer-than-bone substance that provides lining and cushioning in the joint space; the joint space is the area between the two bones that comprise the joint.)
When osteoarthritis progresses, your cartilage may erode entirely so that bone moves on the bone as you go about your usual routine.
But that’s not all.
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Spinal Changes and Spinal Arthritis
The breakdown and erosion of cartilage quite often lead to the joint changing its shape. This is due to a process known as bone remodeling, says Hagit Rajter, a clinical physical therapist at the Joint Mobility Center, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York City.
“Bone remodeling may causebone spursand cysts to form at the edges of bones,” Rajter told Verywell.
Rajter also notes that research supports the premise that osteoarthritis in your low back and hip affect your balance, along with your hip functioning and core strength.These ability decreases can make it more difficult to perform your usual activities at the level to which you may be accustomed. They also make it harder to exercise.
“These are the indirect consequences of spinal arthritis,” Rajter says. “They are not the disease, but they sure have an impact on it.”
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What You Can Do
There’s no real cure for osteoarthritis. Treatment is generally focused on pain relief, slowing the progression of the condition, controlling inflammation in the joints and improving your ability to do what you like to do.
Treatment can be individually tailored to your needs, and often a multi-pronged treatment approach is taken. While different types of modalities are usually included in a treatment plan for spinal arthritis (such as taking medication, going for physical therapy and using joint protection aids), it is wise to acknowledge the importance of exercise in your daily life.
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Motivation to Exercise When You’re in Pain
It’s hard to get yourself up and motivated to exercise, especially when your pain is acting up, but hear me out. Exercise has too many benefits to ignore as part of your regular routine. Exercise can help reduce your stiffness, improve your overall mood, relieve your pain and may even slow down the progression of changes that occur in your spine as a result of arthritis. Plus, it may protect against such diseases as heart disease, cancer, and more.
Fitness and exercise programs generally consist of cardio, strength training and activities to increase your joint range of motion. Of these, the joint range-of-motion work may deserve much of your focus. Rajter says that range-of-motion exercises may interrupt the vicious cycle of stiffness, immobility, joint changes and pain often associated with arthritis.
For a basic low-back, range-of-motion program that’s safe, but not particularly aggressive, Rajter recommends three exercises, described below. She says that if you also have other medical conditions, or you have fitness goals you’d like to address without worsening your symptoms, you should make an appointment with a physical therapist for an evaluation and home exercise program.
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Exercises for Strengthening and Flexibility
The following exercises will increase both the strength and flexibility of your back. It’s best not to do them in bed. It is recommended to use a mat or blanket on the floor.
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Hayer S, Bauer G, Willburger M, et al.Preservation of cartilage and bone architecture is the most important aspect for maintaining functionality in longstanding experimental arthritis.Disease Models & Mechanisms. Published online January 1, 2016:dmm.025460. doi: 10.1242/dmm.025460NIH National Cancer Institute.Definition of cartilage.John Hopkins Medicine.Spinal arthritis (arthritis in the back or neck).Cibulka MT, Bloom NJ, Enseki KR, Macdonald CW, Woehrle J, McDonough CM.Hip pain and mobility deficits—hip osteoarthritis: revision 2017: clinical practice guidelines linked to the international classification of functioning, disability and health from the orthopaedic section of the american physical therapy association.J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2017;47(6):A1-A37. doi: 10.2519/jospt.2017.0301American Association of Neurological Surgeons.Osteoarthritis.Ruegsegger GN, Booth FW.Health benefits of exercise.Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med. 2018;8(7):a029694. doi: 10.1101/cshperspect.a029694U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Physical activity for arthritis.UpToDate.Patient education: Arthritis and exercise (Beyond the Basics).U.S. National Library of Medicine Clinicaltrials.gov.Effectiveness of Cat-Cow Yoga in Managing Low Back Pain.
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Hayer S, Bauer G, Willburger M, et al.Preservation of cartilage and bone architecture is the most important aspect for maintaining functionality in longstanding experimental arthritis.Disease Models & Mechanisms. Published online January 1, 2016:dmm.025460. doi: 10.1242/dmm.025460NIH National Cancer Institute.Definition of cartilage.John Hopkins Medicine.Spinal arthritis (arthritis in the back or neck).Cibulka MT, Bloom NJ, Enseki KR, Macdonald CW, Woehrle J, McDonough CM.Hip pain and mobility deficits—hip osteoarthritis: revision 2017: clinical practice guidelines linked to the international classification of functioning, disability and health from the orthopaedic section of the american physical therapy association.J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2017;47(6):A1-A37. doi: 10.2519/jospt.2017.0301American Association of Neurological Surgeons.Osteoarthritis.Ruegsegger GN, Booth FW.Health benefits of exercise.Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med. 2018;8(7):a029694. doi: 10.1101/cshperspect.a029694U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Physical activity for arthritis.UpToDate.Patient education: Arthritis and exercise (Beyond the Basics).U.S. National Library of Medicine Clinicaltrials.gov.Effectiveness of Cat-Cow Yoga in Managing Low Back Pain.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Hayer S, Bauer G, Willburger M, et al.Preservation of cartilage and bone architecture is the most important aspect for maintaining functionality in longstanding experimental arthritis.Disease Models & Mechanisms. Published online January 1, 2016:dmm.025460. doi: 10.1242/dmm.025460NIH National Cancer Institute.Definition of cartilage.John Hopkins Medicine.Spinal arthritis (arthritis in the back or neck).Cibulka MT, Bloom NJ, Enseki KR, Macdonald CW, Woehrle J, McDonough CM.Hip pain and mobility deficits—hip osteoarthritis: revision 2017: clinical practice guidelines linked to the international classification of functioning, disability and health from the orthopaedic section of the american physical therapy association.J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2017;47(6):A1-A37. doi: 10.2519/jospt.2017.0301American Association of Neurological Surgeons.Osteoarthritis.Ruegsegger GN, Booth FW.Health benefits of exercise.Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med. 2018;8(7):a029694. doi: 10.1101/cshperspect.a029694U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Physical activity for arthritis.UpToDate.Patient education: Arthritis and exercise (Beyond the Basics).U.S. National Library of Medicine Clinicaltrials.gov.Effectiveness of Cat-Cow Yoga in Managing Low Back Pain.
Hayer S, Bauer G, Willburger M, et al.Preservation of cartilage and bone architecture is the most important aspect for maintaining functionality in longstanding experimental arthritis.Disease Models & Mechanisms. Published online January 1, 2016:dmm.025460. doi: 10.1242/dmm.025460
NIH National Cancer Institute.Definition of cartilage.
John Hopkins Medicine.Spinal arthritis (arthritis in the back or neck).
Cibulka MT, Bloom NJ, Enseki KR, Macdonald CW, Woehrle J, McDonough CM.Hip pain and mobility deficits—hip osteoarthritis: revision 2017: clinical practice guidelines linked to the international classification of functioning, disability and health from the orthopaedic section of the american physical therapy association.J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2017;47(6):A1-A37. doi: 10.2519/jospt.2017.0301
American Association of Neurological Surgeons.Osteoarthritis.
Ruegsegger GN, Booth FW.Health benefits of exercise.Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med. 2018;8(7):a029694. doi: 10.1101/cshperspect.a029694
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Physical activity for arthritis.
UpToDate.Patient education: Arthritis and exercise (Beyond the Basics).
U.S. National Library of Medicine Clinicaltrials.gov.Effectiveness of Cat-Cow Yoga in Managing Low Back Pain.
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