Pain a Cause, Not Just a Symptom, of Arthritis
BY LAUREN UZDIENSKI, NOVEMBER 13, 2008
A recent study from the journal Arthritis and Rheumatism presented some illuminating data on arthritis--in particular, the pain that characterizes the condition is more than a symptom, with pain signals actually causing and exacerbating tissue degeneration as they're processed by the central nervous system.
The study examined the pathways between affected joints and the spinal cord and concluded that inflammation could effectively spread via pain signals, worsening the diseased tissue at the origin joint as well as damaging the central nervous system. From there, via the CNS, the disease could go on to affect other joints.
These results reflect a significant change in how the causes of OA are understood and could create new opportunities for treatment. One of the authors of the study, Stephanos Kyrkanides, D.D.S., Ph.D., said, "Until relatively recently, osteoarthritis was believed to be due solely to wear and tear . . . Our study provides the first solid proof that some of those changes are related to pain processing, and suggests the mechanisms behind the effect." Additionally, the CNS involvement also suggests that there could be a link between OA and other degenerative conditions like Alzheimer's, dementia and multiple sclerosis.
