Glossary - Arthritis
A generic term that describes more than 100 different conditions. A disorder of a joint where two bones meet, which may be manifested on physical examination by swelling, redness, warmth, or tenderness in the joint or may be demonstrated on radiograph by loss of the joint space, formation of spurs, erosions, or cysts in the bone.
Arthritis is a general term that means "inflammation of a joint or joints" in any part of the body, including the spine. Arthritis has many different causes and comes in many types. Some are part of the natural aging process and cause no pain symptoms, while others can be quite severe in terms of deformation of the joints and pain.
Many people associate the term "arthritis" with rheumatoid arthritis, which causes pain and malformation of joints in the body. Arthritis in the spine that can cause pain is facet joint arthritis or SI Joint arthritis.