Neck pain can be one of the effects of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In the highest risk group (male sex, positive rheumatoid factor, longstanding and erosive joint disease), up to 80% of individuals will have involvement of the cervical spine joints (vertebra in the neck).
“This is a never-ending cycle,” Cassandra Calabrese, DO, of the department of rheumatologic and immunologic disease at Cleveland Clinic, told attendees during a presentation that featured information on the prevention and management of hepatitis, HIV, tuberculosis, pneumonia, herpes zoster and COVID-19.
An ANA blood test (antinuclear antibody test) is usually performed on a blood sample as part of the diagnostic process for certain autoimmune diseases.1 It is usually ordered along with other blood tests, such as CBC and ESR—and all of the results are considered together.
Uric acid is a waste product found in urine. If your body makes too much or doesn't eliminate enough of it, uric acid levels can become too high—a condition known as hyperuricemia. High uric acid levels can lead to symptoms and eventually conditions like gout and kidney disease.
Treatment for back pain in those with RA is aimed at relieving pain and reducing inflammation that may be contributing to the discomfort. Surgery is sometimes recommended to prevent damaged and unstable vertebrae—the bones of the spine—from putting pressure on nerves located in the neck.
