Rheumatoid Arthritis Neck Issues

Are you dealing with rheumatoid arthritis neck issues and do you want help?

When one of our clients is dealing with this issue, he or she might have questions like you do!

The main question is “What is rheumatoid arthritis?”

This painful condition occurs when the tissues in and around joints suddenly become inflamed and as a result become very painful. This often occurs in the neck and other areas of the body.

It is estimated that about 80% of all people who are over the age of 55 have some form of this medical condition.

When you suffer from rheumatoid arthritis neck issues, we find there are additional problems that can occur. Because of the location of the rheumatoid arthritis, the spine will typically become affected and damage may occur.

Normally, this leaves the patient with two options, either having a supportive device or undergoing surgery. In mild cases, medications might be prescribed by your physician.

How is the neck affected?

• The way that rheumatoid arthritis affects the neck is that it increases both swelling and inflammation on the neck area.
• This in turn causes the joints in the spine and neck area to expand because of the inflammation.
• This then becomes a severe shooting pain or numbness located in the area and in extreme cases, the untreated ailment can cause paralysis.

Other problems that might turn up...

• Weakness of the neck
• Bladder issues
• Difficulty moving and standing straight

How is this condition diagnosed?

• Typically, you will start by having a series of x-rays of your body
• This will allow your physician to see how far the problem has progressed and will give them a chance to determine the best course of treatment
• Since rheumatoid arthritis is autoimmune disease you will also have blood tests done

Commonly, we find that most doctors will attempt treatment with:

• Medications
• Medical devices
• Physical therapy and massage therapy
• Surgery

When a supportive device is selected -- like a neck brace, it will help to relieve the pressure being caused by this problem in the neck.

In some cases, it will be used to limit movement to help reduce pain and prevent any further damage from occurring to your spine. Just be sure that when you are using a supportive device, you follow the directions of your health care provider closely.

In addition… you may be given certain pain medications to handle more severe cases of pain caused by your rheumatoid arthritis neck issue.

The medications given will depend on your doctor and will be closely monitored to see how they treat your rheumatoid arthritis.

Generally, narcotic pain pills and similar treatment options will be used at the discretion of your physician.

Should surgery be the answer, your doctor will typically fuse pieces of your vertebrae together. This will allow new tissue in the bone to grow.

In more extreme cases, a bone graft might be done and wired in to help hold the bone together. This can help to greatly reduce your pain instantly in the process.

If you believe you might have rheumatoid arthritis, the first step is to see your doctor. A trained professional will be able to aid you through the diagnosis process and in no time, will be assisting you in reducing the pain you are in and preventing further issues from coming up that can lead to additional problems.

Please don’t wait...ease your mind and get a correct diagnosis!

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