5 Complications of Ulcerative Colitis and How to Avoid Them

Researchers believe that the damage that inflammation causes to the body most directly stresses the joints. It may also be that the immune system begins to attack the bacteria that exist naturally in the joints.

The severity of the pain can vary depending on the severity of the underlying condition, but most will experience a general soreness or pain followed by the loss of some flexibility and motor functions. In extreme cases, inflammation can be debilitating. Some who experience arthritis as an extra-intestinal complication will be diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, a form of arthritis that affects the lower back so severely that it renders the lower back completely inflexible.