Which Comes First, the Arthritis or the Pain?

By: Elizabeth Strahle for Back1

A study published in the October 2008 issue of the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism provides new information on arthritis and pain. The most commonly-held view about arthritis pain is that the pain stems from the arthritis. Results of the study show that internal factors of pain can contribute to the expansion and the development of arthritis. Some of the main contributors to the development of arthritis are joint trauma and infection. From the arthritis that follows, there is the inevitable pain. So how is it that the pain can lead to the arthritis?

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Addressing the Pain First If you are experiencing pain, screen yourself for arthritis. Ask your doctor about alternative pain treatment methods. Take note of changes in pain in relation to your arthritis. Seek out treatments for pain that work best for you.

It is the role of spinal interleukin-1 beta in the central processing of pain that has been shown to play a part in the development of arthritis. To carry out the study, two different groups of mice were used to analyze the effects of inducing the interleukin-1 beta expression in the dorsal horns of the spinal horn located in the brain. One group of mice was affected with the feline immunodeficiency virus vector in certain joints (temporomandibular joints) and the second group was affected by the feline immunodeficiency virus vector in the cisterna magna which is an opening in space surrounding the brain. The effects of receptor inhibition in the mice affected by the virus vector in the cisterna magna revealed that pain-producing changes took place in conjunction with arthritic changes. These changes were described in the study as behavioral, sensory, and neuroinflammatory.

Is it possible that your arthritis is developing or expanding due to pain? Whether it is or not, it is something to take into consideration. For sufferers of arthritis in the back, the results of the study may be quite useful. Pain management is a key component for managing arthritis, not just for the sake of the pain, but to attempt to stop development and expansion of arthritis. There are many ways to alleviate back pain including massage therapy, proper sleeping posture, and prolotherapy. While the remedies may not be directly linked to arthritis, the study indicates that reducing pain may help the overall problem.

Due to this recent finding, more studies will follow as about 46 million people in the United States suffer from arthritis. It is projected that by 2030 arthritis will affect 67 million people. The connection between pain and arthritis certainly puts new meaning into the way arthritis pain is perceived. It may not be the arthritis that is responsible for the pain, but the pain that is responsible for the arthritis. Findings of this study may open doors for changes in treatment options for reducing not only the pain, but the arthritis too.

Last updated: 02-Oct-08