How quickly does OA develop?

[Sarah12]

I had an MRI of my neck a year ago and was told it was fine apart from an exaggerated forward curve.I did a lot of upper body strength work. A year on my neck feels much stiffer like I constantly have a crick in my neck from sleeping awkwardly. My recent neck MRI showed severe facet joint degeneration and foraminal stenosis and degenerated discs . Can it degenerate that much in a year?.I'm 38.

[wendygreen]

Hi,

it's possible that doing the upper body strength work could have increased the wear and tear on your discs.

As I've mentioned in some of my previous posts, I have disc degeneration and bulging discs in my neck and suffered from almost constant pain for several years. What has helped me the most is doing neck exercises twice daily and I highly recommend that you try them. Please see this post for further details https://www.talkhealthpartnership.com/f ... 668#p32766 It's worth asking your GP for a referral to a physiotherapist to check which exercises will help you most, and that you're doing them correctly. They will also be able to advise you as to whether or not you should continue the upper body strength work or whether you should try a gentler form of exercise like swimming or yoga.

I hope this helps.

Wendy

[Arthritis Care]

Hi Sarah12,

Thanks for your post. I'm sorry to hear that your neck is sore at the moment. When it comes to your self-management you often need to be ready to try different approaches and see what works best for you. You may also want to get the physio to check your posture when you are doing everyday tasks - it's really easy to be bending over or leaning in a way that can be tough on your spine.

Other good online communities may be a source of support -
http://arthritiscareforum.org.uk/

https://www.arthritiscare.org.uk/what-i ... -arthritis

Hope that's helpful

Guy
Arthritis Care Helpline
Tel 0808 800 4050 10am - 4pm weekdays

[Sarah12]

Thanks for your replies. I regularly attend a physio and try to do low impact exercise. I would love to know how quick arthritis develops though. Thank you.

[Stephen Kelly]

Hi Sarah
The speed of onset of osteoarthritis symptoms would generally be gradual, but this isn't always the case. Many factors influence the development of osteoarthritis including genetics, diet, smoking, exercise, obesity and other lifestyle choices.

In an attempt to provide a direct answer to your question, major changes in levels of osteoarthritis observed on an MRI scan after 1 year in a 38 year old would be unusual but not unheard of.

Kind regards
Stephen