What Causes Spine Pain?

What Causes Spine Pain? Spine pain is very common, especially long-lasting, and relatively minor. But it is also much more prone to have an underlying cause than just neck pain or lower back pain.

It is important to be aware of the warning signs and to know what you can do about them. In the case of injury, treatment should always commence with a visit to your doctor. But in the case of back pain or other issues, what is the main rule of thumb when it comes to finding out what is spine pain? Treatment must begin immediately to get relief.

Disc Degeneration

Disc degeneration is probably one of the most common causes of spine pain. If this is indeed the case, the usual course of action is to remove the problematic vertebra (with the help of a few incisions) and then to attempt to rehabilitate it.

In some cases, this might work but in others, especially if the degenerative disc disease has already run its course, there may be little that can be done except for waiting. This does not mean, however, that such patients cannot find relief.

Some effective treatments can give lasting relief.

Spine Degeneration

Spine degeneration is usually accompanied by loss of flexion and movement of the spine, which is known as compression of the vertebra, but this is not always the case.

Sometimes, even when there are no signs of degeneration, the spine may continue to put pressure on spinal discs which may result in small tears, inflammation, and irritation of discs. This may result in herniated discs and severe pain.

In such cases, chiropractic treatments with deep heat and massage coupled with manual traction or ultrasound can help the healing process and bring much relief to the patient.

Sciatica

Sciatica most often occurs when there is a herniated disc, bone spurs, or spinal stenosis that narrow part of the sciatic nerve. This causes spine pain and shooting pains, inflammation, and sometimes some numbness in the involved leg.

When one suffers from long periods of sitting down, the compressed spinal discs can compress the delicate nerves and cause sciatica. If a person sits for long periods of time in front of their computer, they are at greater risk for sciatica.

The longer the person sits in front of their computer, the more likely they are to develop chronic back problems as the discs become compressed over time. If you sit for long periods of time, try to elevate your legs on pillows during the time you are at your desk.

When sciatica is causing severe pain, it is time to see your doctor. Doctors can perform a physical exam and order a series of tests to rule out any serious spinal or nervous system problems. Some tests will include x-rays, CT scans, or MRI tests.

X-rays will show any bone spurs or narrowing of spinal arteries; however, MRI and CT scans will reveal more information about the cause of your sciatica pain. Once doctors determine what is causing the pain in your back, they can prescribe treatment to reduce or eliminate the symptoms.

Herniated disc

One of the most common causes of a herniated disc symptom is a tear or rupture somewhere in the spine. This can be caused by trauma (e.g., automobile accident, fall, sports injury, twisting), by poor biomechanics of the spine itself, or by excessive external forces acting on the spinal canal.

The actual location of the herniated disc can vary greatly, however. In fact, it can sometimes be difficult to determine where exactly the herniated disc nucleus is located within the spinal canal.

If there is a severe structural problem, it may be necessary to remove the protruding disc from the spinal canal to treat the herniated disc properly.

Spinal Stenosis

Spinal stenosis is an ailment where the spinal cord narrows and presses on the nerves, causing severe back and leg pain. The spine has many branches, which are made up of eighty percent of the total skeletal system.

Injuries to the spine can occur from several different causes such as falls, disease, sports injuries, car accidents, and more.

The risk of developing spinal stenosis greatly increases in adults aged 50 years and above, but young people who were born with a very small spinal canal might also develop symptoms later in life. However, it is possible to prevent this ailment if diagnosed early enough.