Some Conditions Associated with Back Pain
Bulging disc (also called protruding, herniated, or ruptured disc). The
intervertebral discs are under constant pressure. As discs degenerate and
weaken, cartilage can bulge or be pushed into the space containing the
spinal cord or a nerve root, causing pain. Studies have shown that most
herniated discs occur in the lower, lumbar portion of the spinal column.
A much more serious complication of a ruptured disc is cauda equina
syndrome, which occurs when disc material is pushed into the spinal
canal and compresses the bundle of lumbar and sacral nerve roots.
Permanent neurological damage may result if this syndrome is left untreated.
Sciatica is a condition in which a herniated or ruptured disc presses on the
sciatic nerve, the large nerve that extends down the spinal column to its exit
point in the pelvis and carries nerve fibers to the leg. This compression causes
shock-like or burning low back pain combined with pain through the buttocks
and down one leg to below the knee, occasionally reaching the foot. In the
most extreme cases, when the nerve is pinched between the disc and an adjacent bone, the symptoms involve not pain but numbness and some loss of motor
control over the leg due to interruption of nerve signaling.
Spinal degeneration from disc wear and tear can lead to a narrowing of the
spinal canal. A person with spinal degeneration may experience stiffness in
the back upon awakening or may feel pain after walking or standing for
a long time. Osteoporosis is a metabolic bone disease marked by progressive
decrease in bone density and strength. Fracture of brittle, porous bones in
the spine and hips results when the body fails to produce new bone and/or
absorbs too much existing bone. Women are four times more likely than men
to develop osteoporosis. Caucasian women of northern European heritage are
at the highest risk of developing the condition.
Skeletal irregularities produce strain on the vertebrae and supporting muscles, tendons, ligaments, and tissues supported by spinal column. These irregularities include scoliosis, a curving of the spine to the side; kyphosis, in which the
normal curve of the upper back is severely rounded; lordosis, an abnormally accentuated arch in the lower back;back extension, a bending backward of the
spine; and back flexion, in which the spine bends forward.
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