“Can you get rheumatoid arthritis in the upper spine?”
My spine can be so painful, near the top, from between the shoulder blades going upwards.
Female | 46 years old
Complaint duration: 7 months
Conditions: Rheumatoid arthritis
6 Answers
It can, not typical for RA (cervical RA occurs)
Rheumatoid arthritis can only affect cervical vertebrae 1 and 2 no other vetebrae area. There are other forms of arthritis that can affect this area like degenerative disease with scoliosis psoriatic arthritis ankylosing spondyltiits disc disease so would discuss with primary and need for spine evaluation or rheumatologist.
Yes, rheumatoid arthritis can involve your cervical spine.
No that would be thoracic pain
The joint that connects the first and 2nd vertebrae of cervical spine/neck can be affected in the long run in RA patients. Cervical spine can be affected with degenerative arthritis also and this is a more common condition and affects a lot of the population in general.
Ankylosing Spondylitis can do this
