Spine Conditions That Cause Back Pain

Common back problems and conditions that can be cured by our minimally invasive Laser Spine Procedures.

Back Pain Overview

Back pain affects 80% of Americans at some time in their lives and is the leading cause of visits to the doctor. Low back pain is the most prevalent cause of disability in people under age 45. An estimated $100 billion is spent annually in the management of low back pain, with more than half spent on surgical treatment.

Herniated Disc

A herniated disc is a disc that extrudes into the spinal canal. It is also referred to as a bulging disc, ruptured disc or slipped disc. As a disc degenerates, it can herniate (the inner core extrudes) back into the spinal canal, as shown in this picture on the right. The light blue oval area is the disc and it is bulging into the spinal canal on the lower right side of the disc. A lumbar herniated disc can cause pain to radiate all the way down the legs and into the foot. In the area of the cervical spine, the pain would radiate from the neck down the arm into the fingers.

Bulging Disc

A bulging disc is a disc that extrudes into the spinal canal. It is also referred to as a ruptured disc or slipped disc. As a disc degenerates, it can herniate (the inner core extrudes) back into the spinal canal, as shown in this picture on the right. The light blue oval area is the disc and it is bulging into the spinal canal on the lower right side of the disc. In the lumbar area, this can cause pain to radiate all the way down the leg into the foot. In the area of the cervical spine, the pain would radiate from the neck down the arm, to the fingers.

Degenerative Disc Disease

As we age, the water and protein content of the body's cartilage changes. This change results in weaker, more fragile and thin cartilage. Because both the discs and the joints that stack the vertebrae (facet joints) are partially composed of cartilage, these areas are subject to wear and tear over time (degenerative changes). The gradual deterioration of the disc between the vertebrae is referred to as Degenerative Disc Disease.

Arthritis of the Spine

Arthritis is a general term that describes many different diseases causing tenderness, pain, swelling, and stiffness of joints as well as abnormalities of various soft tissues of the body. Various forms of arthritis affect nearly 50 million Americans and contribute to the majority of all physical disabilities. The term arthritis comes from “arthros,” which means a joint and its attachments, and “-itis” meaning inflammation.

Arthritis affects approximately 90% of people over the age of 55 in the United States. It is estimated that by the year 2020, over 60 million people will suffer from this often-disabling problem.

Bone Spurs in the Back and Neck

Bone spurs, also called osteophytes, are enlargements of the normal bone structure that protrude into your spine (and in other areas of your body). Bone spurs do not actually create a point but they are smooth structures formed and pulled over time by muscle spasms. Muscle spasms are a protective mechanism in your body to prevent further injury from any number of causes.

Pinched Nerve

A pinched nerve is the term for pain or impaired function of a nerve that is under pressure. It happens to nerves that control muscle movements or relay sensations to the brain. The initial symptoms of a pinched nerve may be tingling, numbness, burning sensation or shooting pains down the buttocks and legs or in the neck, shoulders, arms and fingers.

Foraminal Stenosis of the Cervical Lumbar and Thoracic Areas of the Spine

At every level of the spine the nerves will exit through a small canal. This canal is called the foramen or foraminal canal. Foraminal stenosis is a narrowing of this canal. Causes of Forminal stenosis: Constriction of the nerve roots leaving the spine in the foraminal canal is typically caused by bone spurs, a herniated or bulging disc, scar tissue, arthritis or ligament thickening. Foraminal Stenosis can also be caused by enlargement of a joint (the uncinate process) in the spinal canal.

Spinal Stenosis

Spinal Stenosis is the narrowing of the spinal canal by a piece of bone or disc material. This can cause weakness in your extremities as narrowing often results in pressure on the spinal cord and/or nerves. Spinal stenosis can occur in a variety of ways in the spine. Most cases of spinal stenosis occur in the lower back (lumbar spine) and will affect the sciatic nerve, which runs along the back of the leg.

Facet Disease

The Facet joints are the joint structures that connect the vertebrae to one another. The facet joint is like any other joint in your body—they have cartilage that line the joint, (this allows the bone to glide smoothly over one another) and a capsule surrounding the joint. The function of the facet joint is to provide support, stability, and mobility to the vertebrae (spine). Facet Disease occurs when there is degeneration of the facet joint.

Sciatica and Sciatic Nerve Pain

Sciatica is a layman's term for a pinched nerve that can cause pain that runs from the buttocks down the back of the leg. The sciatic nerve is about an inch or so long in the buttocks made of multiple spinal nerves. When people commonly refer to sciatica it is not necessarily a problem of the sciatic nerve, it's a problem of the nerve when it is being pinched as it exits from the spine from a herniated disc or a bone spur.

Contact us to get your Informational Kit. You can get a free phone consultation or request a free MRI review. Have your MRI or CT Scan reviewed by one of our physicians for FREE.

FREE MEDICAL REVIEW AND SECOND OPINION

Fax your MRI REPORT to LSI and a qualified member of our staff will call you to discuss your condition(s) and what treatment may be effective. This review is at no cost to you, with no obligation and is kept completely confidential between you and the LSI staff. A personal consultation and/or written evaluation can only be provided if you are examined by a doctor at Laser Spine Institute, at which time there will be an appointment charge.

» Contact us for more information

Contact us to get your Informational Kit. Get a free phone consultation or request a free MRI review. Have your MRI or CT Scan reviewed by one of our physicians for FREE.