Condition Treated

A herniated disk refers to a problem with one of the rubbery cushions (disks) that sit between the individual bones (vertebrae) that stack to make your spine.

A spinal disk has a soft, jellylike center (nuclei) encased in a tougher, rubbery exterior (annulus). Sometimes called a slipped disk or a ruptured disk, a herniated disk occurs when some of the nuclei push out through a tear in the annulus.

A herniated disk, which can occur in any part of the spine, can irritate a nearby nerve. Depending on where the herniated disk is, it can result in pain, numbness or weakness in an arm or leg.

Symptoms

Most herniated disks occur in the lower back, although they can also occur in the neck. Signs and symptoms depend on where the disk is situated and whether the disk is pressing on a nerve. They usually affect one side of the body.

You can have a herniated disk without symptoms. You might not know you have it unless it shows up on a spinal image.

A muscle strain is an injury to a muscle or a tendon — the fibrous tissue that connects muscles to bones. Minor injuries may only overstretch a muscle or tendon, while more severe injuries may involve partial or complete tears in these tissues.

Sometimes called pulled muscles, strains commonly occur in the lower back and in the muscles at the back of the thigh (hamstrings).

The difference between a strain and a sprain is that a strain involves an injury to a muscle or to the band of tissue that attaches a muscle to a bone, while a sprain injures the bands of tissue that connect two bones together.

Initial treatment includes rest, ice, compression and elevation. Mild strains can be successfully treated at home. Severe strains sometimes require surgical repair.

Symptoms

Signs and symptoms will vary, depending on the severity of the injury, and may include:

A pinched nerve occurs when too much pressure is applied to a nerve by surrounding tissues, such as bones, cartilage, muscles or tendons. This pressure disrupts the nerve’s function, causing pain, tingling, numbness or weakness.

A pinched nerve can occur at a number of sites in your body. A herniated disk in your lower spine, for example, may put pressure on a nerve root, causing pain that radiates down the back of your leg. Likewise, a pinched nerve in your wrist can lead to pain and numbness in your hand and fingers (carpal tunnel syndrome).

With rest and other conservative treatments, most people recover from a pinched nerve within a few days or weeks. Sometimes, surgery is needed to relieve pain from a pinched nerve.

Symptoms

Pinched nerve signs and symptoms include:

The problems related to a pinched nerve may be worse when you’re sleeping.

Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spaces within your spine, which can put pressure on the nerves that travel through the spine. Spinal stenosis occurs most often in the lower back and the neck.

Some people with spinal stenosis may not have symptoms. Others may experience pain, tingling, numbness and muscle weakness. Symptoms can worsen over time.

Spinal stenosis is most commonly caused by wear-and-tear changes in the spine related to osteoarthritis. In severe cases of spinal stenosis, doctors may recommend surgery to create additional space for the spinal cord or nerves.

Types Of Spinal Stenosis

The types of spinal stenosis are classified according to where on the spine the condition occurs. It’s possible to have more than one type. The two main types of spinal stenosis are:

Symptoms

Many people have evidence of spinal stenosis on an MRI or CT scan but may not have symptoms. When they do occur, they often start gradually and worsen over time. Symptoms vary depending on the location of the stenosis and which nerves are affected

In the Lower Back (Lumbar Spine)

Spinal fractures or a dislocation of one or more vertebrae in a spine caused by trauma is considered a serious orthopaedic injury. The majority of these fractures occur as a result of a high-velocity accident and can occur in the neck (cervical spine), mid back (thoracic spine) or low back (lumbar spine). High-velocity accidents are associated with trauma from motor vehicle accidents, a fall from height, or sporting accidents.

Fractures of the neck usually occur as a result of high energy trauma and are uncommon in other situations. Any fracture of the cervical spine has serious consequences because of its location in relation to the spinal cord. A cervical fracture can cause bone fragments to pinch and damage the spinal cord or surrounding nerves that branch off of the spinal cord. Damage or injury to the spinal cord can result in paralysis or death. All patients with trauma who develop cervical fractures should be evaluated in an emergency room setting. Patients with high energy trauma or those who lose consciousness also require urgent emergency evaluation and treatment.

Depending on how severe your injury is, you may experience pain, difficulty walking, or be unable to move your arms or legs (paralysis). The most common symptom of a spinal fracture is moderate to severe pain that is increased with movement. Treatment of spinal fractures depends on the type of fracture and the degree of instability. Many fractures heal with conservative treatment; however severe fractures may require surgery to realign the bones.

Symptoms

Most vertebral fractures, regardless of where they are located are associated with mild to severe pain (depending on the location of the spinal fracture) which worsens with any type of movement. In more severe cases, the fracture may cause nerve symptoms including numbness, tingling, muscle spasms, weakness, bowel/bladder problems or even paralysis.

Osteoporosis causes bones to become weak and brittle — so brittle that a fall or even mild stresses such as bending over or coughing can cause a fracture. Osteoporosis-related fractures most commonly occur in the hip, wrist or spine.

Bone is living tissue that is constantly being broken down and replaced. Osteoporosis occurs when the creation of new bone doesn’t keep up with the loss of old bone.

Osteoporosis affects men and women of all races. But white and Asian women — especially older women who are past menopause — are at highest risk. Medications, healthy diet and weight-bearing exercise can help prevent bone loss or strengthen already weak bones.

Symptoms

There typically are no symptoms in the early stages of bone loss. But once your bones have been weakened by osteoporosis, you might have signs and symptoms that include: