One of the most common causes of back pain is degenerative disc disease. Contrary to its name, it’s not an actual disease but rather a set of symptoms that cause neck and back pain that may radiate to the upper and lower extremities and cause weakness, tingling, and shooting pain, depending on the location of…
Spinal Pain
When To Visit A Doctor For Arthritis
A lot of people don’t get diagnosed with arthritis until the condition has progressed for quite some time. The reason for this is arthritis symptoms can easily be mistaken as normal aches and pains. Most people choose to relieve symptoms on their own until the condition has progressed enough to cause chronic pain. If you…
Types of Spinal Stenosis
Spinal stenosis is a condition caused by the deterioration of the spine, most often due to an injury or years of wear and tear. Spinal stenosis actually has three variations. The type of spinal stenosis you have depends on the location of the narrowing. Lumbar spinal stenosis affects the lumbar region, thoracic affects the region…
Treatments for Sciatica Pain
Sciatica pain stems from the body’s largest nerve, the sciatic nerve. The roots of the sciatic nerve are located in the lower back, specifically in the spinal cord’s lumbar section. The nerve extends down the lower legs, passing through the buttocks. The pain associated with the sciatic nerve can be felt in all of these…
Questions to Ask Your Spine Surgeon
If you are seeking treatment for a spine condition that’s been causing you chronic back pain, you may benefit from talking to an experienced spine surgeon. The more questions you ask, the more confidence you will have in the doctor and in the procedure itself. The surgeon may even recommend minimally invasive treatments that don’t…
What Causes Severe Spinal Pain?
Spinal pain is usually characterized by discomfort felt in the lower back and neck region. The pain can become so severe that you are unable to continue with your day-to-day activities, and yet sitting down or lying down doesn’t always help either. Severe back pain is so common worldwide that it is one of the…
Is Spinal Fusion Surgery Safe?
Spinal fusion is surgery that permanently connects two or more vertebrae together in your spine. It strengthens and stabilizes that segment of the spine and prevents any movement between them. It is recommended when motion is the source of pain in that part of your spine. Spinal fusion surgery may be recommended to treat conditions…
What Causes a Bulging Disc?
As we get older, the protective cushiony discs between the vertebrae in our spine can dry out due to dehydration of the disc material, which is cartilage. When this cartilage dries out, it loses its integrity and can begin to slightly flatten out between its two vertebrae. This causes the disc to be compressed and…