Several different types of arthritis might be the cause of stiffness and back pain, or symptoms could be related to other issues like widespread inflammation, an autoimmune disorder, or an infection. Regardless of the reason, or the exact location of the pain, arthritis in the back is extremely painful and can become a chronic condition. Developing osteoarthritis of the spine becomes more common as we age, yet approximately 10 percent of people in their 30’s develop lumbar arthritis, while roughly 80 percent of people over the age of 80 will develop arthritic changes that are seen in imaging. Though there are several different types of arthritis and they generally fall into one of 2 categories: - Mechanical causes – include osteoarthritis. - Inflammatory causes – include rheumatoid arthritis, axial arthritis, and psoriatic arthritis. The differences between mechanical and inflammatory back pain are usually quite subtle but show clear differences in the nature of the pain, and your doctor will be able to identify these differences. Inflammatory back pain will show some tell-tale signs: - Strikes at a younger age, usually before age 40 to 45, but is often first experienced in the teens and twenties. - The pain subsides with exercise and movement but gets worse with inactivity and rest. - Pain comes and goes, but lasts for 3 months or more. - The back feels stiff when waking for the first 30 minutes in the morning, then subsides with movement. - Severe pain can wake you up in the middle of the night. Different types of arthritis require specific medications and treatment, so it’s important that a doctor determine the type of arthritis that is causing pain. Common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and spondyloarthritis, which is a blanket term for severe types of arthritis, including: - Axial spondyloarthritis - Psoriatic arthritis - Reactive arthritis - Enteropathic arthritis - Undifferentiated spondyloarthritis