Low back osteoarthritis affects the lumbar discs and can be painful. This type of osteoarthritis cannot be treated, but there are many ways to manage the pain.

Lumbar osteoarthritis, also called lumbar osteoarthritis, is a very common form of osteoarthritis. It is characterized by chronic wear between the lumbar discs.

Lumbar osteoarthritis can occur in two places:

• at the level of the discs between the vertebrae, which are cartilaginous discs serving as “pads” to prevent the friction of the vertebrae between them
• or at the level of the posterior inter-apophyseal joints, which are the joints which serve as guides during the movements of the column. We sometimes speak of inter-apophyseal osteoarthritis

There are many causes of low back osteoarthritis:

• Bad posture: scoliosis, hyperlordosis.
• Bad repetitive posture when practicing sport or at work
• I
• Fracture or violent shock
• Scheuermann’s disease, which is a pathology of the vertebrae that deforms the spine

Lumbar osteoarthritis is characterized by outbreaks of osteoarthritis and periods, of varying lengths, of remission. The pain usually wakes up with use of the joint and subsides with rest. Certain movements can worsen the pain such as carrying heavy loads, gardening, certain changes in position during the night, etc.

Lumbarthrosis usually begins to develop with simple lumbago after too much effort.

The characteristic symptoms of this disease are:

• Pain pronounced in the lower back during and aggravated by walking. This is because the vertebrae react to the weakening of the joint by making extra bone around its periphery, which decreases the diameter of the lumbar canal, limits the mobility of the spine and causes pain.
• Sudden pain after exertion. These pains are acute and occur after carrying a heavy load, for example, but can also be triggered by a simple sneeze. The pain can radiate down the leg. This pain comes from the intervertebral discs located between each vertebra in the spine. Their role is to allow the spine to obtain its flexibility and to absorb shocks. During a major effort can appear a herniated disc which is an abnormal projection of this intervertebral disc. A herniated disc can lead to lower back pain.
• The shopping cart sign: This sign is characteristic of patients who describe difficulty in walking which disappears when pushing a shopping cart. A desire to “arch your back” pushes the patient to lean forward. This position relieves the lumbar joints by re-opening the lumbar canal. It is thanks to this position that patients can sometimes cycle for hours when they cannot walk.
• Tingling and pain in the legs. If osteoarthritis compresses nerves we will have the appearance of sciatica due to the compression of the nerve of the same name by the narrowing of the lumbar canal. This can lead to pain in the legs up to the toes.
• An impression of stiffness. This occurs when the muscles begin to fibrosis and the body stops moving to avoid pain.

It is not possible to cure low back osteoarthritis, but it is possible to limit the pain experienced by certain drug treatments. For this it is necessary to take charge of the disease as soon as the first symptoms appear.

It is recommended :

• Rest during the painful phase
• Local heat application 
• Gentle massages to achieve muscle relaxation responsible for the pain
• Gymnastics in a hot water pool
• Avoid carrying heavy loads 

From a drug point of view, analgesics and muscle relaxants will be widely used.

There are several ways to treat the pain of low back osteoarthritis:

• acupuncture
• Massages
• Physiotherapy
• Osteopathy
• Physiotherapy

It is also possible to have recourse to the thermal cure to fight effectively against lumbar osteoarthritis, in particular with aquatic physical exercises.

A kidney belt may also be prescribed to strengthen the support of the vertebrae and control posture.

Among the factors favoring lumbar osteoarthritis, we find:

• Tobacco
• obesity
• Muscular insufficiency which is strongly implicated in women
• Activities such as heavy lifting and traumatic sports

It is possible to strengthen the back to help consolidate the spine by the muscles. For this, sport is a good means of prevention. Aquatic physical exercises are good for the back. In general, it is especially important to avoid anything that is traumatic for the spine. It is therefore necessary to avoid all jumping exercises. On the other hand, muscle strengthening and sheathing exercises are recommended.