As the damage from osteoarthritis worsens, the joint may become less movable and eventually may freeze in a bent position. The new growth of cartilage, bone, and other tissue can enlarge joints, and the roughened cartilage causes joints to grate or crackle when they are moved. In some joints, such as the knee, the ligaments, which surround and support the joint, stretch so that the joint becomes unstable. Touching or moving the joint can be very painful. Osteoarthritis frequently affects the spine.
Back pain is the most common symptom.
Usually, damaged joints in the spine cause only mild pain and stiffness. However, osteoarthritis in the neck or lower back can cause numbness, odd sensations, pain, and weakness in an arm or leg if the overgrowth of bone presses on nerves. Sometimes bony growths compress the esophagus, making swallowing difficult. Osteoarthritis most often continues to progress slowly after symptoms develop, and many people develop some degree of disability. Occasionally, however, joint degeneration stops or even reverses.