Gout is a type of arthritis that results from too much uric acid in the body. Rather than being flushed by the kidneys and through the urine, as it normally is, it forms crystals and deposits in the joints. These deposits give rise to inflammation of the joints, causing pain, swelling, redness and tenderness of the area.
Anyone out there with chondrocalcinosis issues in the spine? I'm about to be scheduled for epidural steroid injections to treat sciatic pain. MRI shows combination of problems including arthritic changes (probably CPPD related) as well as several bulging disks. Some of the reading I've done indicates that the spine is nearly always involved, whereas other articles don't even mention it. My ortho doc thinks some of my persistent post-op knee problems may actually be related to the sciatic nerve irritation, and I'm inclined to agree.
