| When dealing with back and neck pain, it is | | | | Radiculopathy can resultfrom a herniated |
| important to have your painevaluated by a | | | | disc, bone spur, tumor growing into the |
| professional. Simply dismissing back or neck | | | | nerves, andvertebral fracture, and many other |
| pain astypical and unimportant can be a very | | | | conditions. |
| harmful mistake. | | | | |
| | | | Sciatica is a certain type of radiculopathy |
| Overuse or under use of the back muscles is | | | | that involves inflammationof the sciatic |
| by far the most commoncause of back pain that | | | | nerve. Pain is experienced along the large |
| manifests as tightening or spasm of the | | | | sciaticnerve, from the lower back down |
| musclesthat connect to the spine. | | | | through the buttocks and along the back ofthe |
| Inflammation and swelling often occur in | | | | leg. |
| thejoints and ligaments, especially in the | | | | |
| cervical and lumbar regions, aspeople age. | | | | A spinal tumor that originates in the spine |
| | | | (primary tumor) or spreadsto the spine from |
| Many conditions can cause back and neck pain, | | | | another part of the body (metastatic tumor) |
| ranging from injury toinfection to simply | | | | cancompress the spine or nerve roots and |
| twisting the wrong way. Traumatic injuries | | | | cause significant pain. |
| such asthose sustained in an automobile | | | | |
| accident or other type of accidents can | | | | Infections of the vertebrae (e.g., vertebral |
| damage muscles, joints, ligaments, | | | | osteomyelitis), the discs,the meninges (e.g., |
| andvertebrae. | | | | spinal meningitis), or the cerebrospinal |
| | | | fluid cancompress the spinal cord and result |
| A herniated disc occurs when the nuclear | | | | in serious neurologicaldeterioration, if it |
| pulposus, the inner materialof the disc, | | | | is not diagnosed and treated immediately. |
| pushes through a tear in the annulus | | | | |
| fibrosis, the outermaterial of the disc | | | | Facet joints allow movement of the spine. |
| causing nerve root compression. The | | | | The facet joints are formedby two adjacent |
| cervical andlumbar regions of the spine have | | | | vertebra and direct or guide movement of the |
| the most mobility and the discs thereare more | | | | spine. |
| likely to wear down or be injured. Ninety | | | | |
| percent of discherniations occur in the lower | | | | As facet joints degenerate, they may not |
| two lumbar vertebrae. | | | | align correctly, and thecartilage and fluid |
| | | | that lubricates the joints may deteriorate. |
| Spinal stenosis, the narrowing of the spinal | | | | Bone thenrubs against bone, which can be very |
| canal, can cause spinalcord irritation and | | | | painful. |
| injury. Conditions that cause spinal stenosis | | | | |
| includeinfection, tumors, trauma, herniated | | | | These are just a few of the conditions that |
| disc, arthritis, thickening ofligaments, | | | | can be responsible for backand neck pain. |
| growth of bone spurs, and disc degeneration. | | | | Thankfully, most cases of back and neck pains |
| Spinal stenosismost commonly occurs in older | | | | arerelated to mechanical causes and can be |
| individuals as a result of | | | | readily addressed by a trainedchiropractor. |
| vertebraldegeneration. | | | | The point is, however, pain is a warning |
| | | | signal that shouldnot be ignored. The best |
| A pinchednerve, or radiculopathy, occurs when | | | | place to have your back and neck |
| something rubs or presses against anerve, | | | | painevaluated is with a chiropractor. |
| creating irritation or inflammation. | | | | |