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inflammatory spine disorders

There is a broad variety of inflammatory joint diseases only diagnosable by blood test. Of these, rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis (with its associated sacroiliitis, or inflammation of the sacroiliac joints) are the most common. 

Rheumatoid is thought to be an auto-immune disease that in severe cases makes the peripheral joints, in particular, painfully deformed and swollen, with audible internal cartilage-on-cartilage clonking and chafing as they move. On the other hand, ankylosing spondylitis is mainly localised to the spine where it causes pain and progressive stiffening. 

An important component of pain in all inflammatory spine disorders comes from deformity acquired from previous bouts of acute inflammation. When an acute flare-up has died down, in the case of rheumatoid arthritis say, various joints are left increasingly crippled and deformed. This makes their troubled toil harder - causing an ‘acquired’ inflammation on top of the pre-existing systemic (blood borne) one. In the words of one research team: the difficulty encountered by the spine now may not cause pain in itself but 'may determine the pain levels' as a result (Taskaynatan et al 2005). In the chronic aftermath, normal activity of the mis-shapen joints is more laboured because the joints are too crooked to run true; even picking up a cup of tea can be a strain.

But the good news is that treatment to the soft tissues around the joint, to correct the deformity, can reduce the inflammation from this secondary source and make all the difference to pain levels. 

It's important you also know however, that anyone suffering a low-grade inflammatory disorder will not cope as well with routine developmental problems such as ‘simple back pain’. This is because the joints are more easily inflamed. It will also mean the response to physical treatment isn’t as successful, as the dual inflammatory processes are more difficult to control.

what physical treatment can do yourself for inflammatory spine disorders?

With inflammatory spine disorders, judicious medication helps the joints move more easily and frees the body from the muscle and joint stiffness. Apart from the comfort of the pain relief, easing the stiffness away is important; if left unchecked, it goes on to damage the joints as it makes the joint deformities irreversible. 

It is important to use the drug-induced pain-free or pain-controlled periods  to keep the spine as mobile as possible by making it pass through full end-of-range movement. Particularly important with AS is the extension of backward range as this is so quickly lost as the disease process ramps up and the body bcome painfully fixed forward. This is where the BackBlock is almost priceless. 

An important component of pain in all inflammatory spine disorders comes from deformity acquired from previous bouts of acute inflammation. When an acute flare-up has died down, in the case of rheumatoid arthritis say, various joints are left increasingly crippled and deformed. This makes their troubled toil harder - causing an ‘acquired’ inflammation on top of the pre-existing systemic (blood borne) one.

In the words of one research team: the difficulty encountered by the spine now may not cause pain in itself but 'may determine the pain levels' as a result (Taskaynatan et al 2005). In the chronic aftermath, normal activity of the mis-shapen joints is more laboured because the joints are too crooked to run true; even picking up a cup of tea can be a strain if you have rheumatoid disease.

It's important you also know that anyone suffering a low-grade inflammatory disorder will not cope as well with routine developmental problems such as ‘simple back pain’. This is because the joints are more easily annoyed and inflamed. Having a system inflammatory disorder will also mean the response to physical treatment isn’t as successful, as the dual inflammatory processes are more difficult to control. 


Watch this set of 14 videos with Sarah explaining exactly what you can do physically to help quell the inflammatory processes in the spine.

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Even so, spinal appeasing exercises are an important part of daily treatment for anyone with RA or AS, who also has a bad back. These gentle spinal mobilising exercises help calm the muscles. They also help the spinal joints flush out the toxic inflammatory products. 

Using the BackBlock is a critically important part of treatment for anyone with ankylosing spondylitis. If this is you, please read these linked pages carefully as it is important to get the daily decompression regime just right. You may not be able to tolerate using the BackBlock every day. Because AS is an inflammatory spine disorder, the body can be overwhelmed in coping with extra, exercise-induced inflammation. You will find with continued use however, that you become your own master here; knowing what your back likes and how hard to push it.

Indeed, you will find that the BackBlock with AS is the most effective way of relieving the pain and stopping it progressing. You should also read 'The Benefits of Using the BackBlock' to be totally familiar with the daily decompression routine.

A recent AS patient of mine was unable to get her head closer than 20cm from the floor on first starting to use the BackBlock for the thoracic spine. She was determined to continue her jogging, of which she did tens of kilometres per week (to my chagrin), so she made it her business to get the most out of her BackBlock. Within 3 months her head was able to rest back on the floor. 

The 2 Main Inflammatory Spine Disorders Are:

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Ankylosing Spondylitis

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