Pain from arthritis comes from the wearing down of cartilaginous tissues that insulate joints, allowing bones (or bone spurs) to come into direct contact with one another during motion.
Arthritis can affect any part of the body, even the spine. It occurs when the cartilage in the joints or discs is worn down as a result of wear and tear, aging, injury, or misuse. Osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis, also includes loss of cartilage, overgrowth of bone, and the formation of bone spurs. This condition causes the bones under the cartilage to rub together, resulting in pain, swelling, and loss of motion of the joint. Osteoarthritis can occur in any joint but most often occurs in the hips, knees, or spine.
In the spine, osteoarthritis can cause stiffness and pain in the neck or in the lower back. Cervical arthritis (also called cervical spondylosis) affects the upper spine and neck. Lumbar or lumbosacral arthritis affects the lower back and pelvic area. Ankylosing spondylitis is a severe form of spinal arthritis, causing the spinal vertebrae themselves to start to fuse together.
Arthritis strikes one in five adults and one in 300,000 children. It is the leading cause of disability in the United States.