About spine pain
Neck pain
Common sources of neck pain include disc degeneration, disc herniation, spinal stenosis, arthritis and muscle strains/spasm. Inflammation is a major component of the pain generation and can occur with all of the conditions listed. Inflammation can be acute such as with a disc herniation or muscle strain or chronic in the case of arthritis. Neck pain can come and go, which speaks to the variability of the inflammatory response.
Conservative therapies include rest, ice/heat, physical therapy, oral medications (anti-inflammatories, analgesics for pain, muscle relaxants) and steroid injections (ESI, facet injections, trigger point injections).
Also called: Cervicalgia, cervical spondylosis
Arm Pain
Common sources of cervical spine related arm pain include disc herniation, arthritis and spinal stenosis. Direct compression and inflammation are the major components of pain generation. Direct compression of a nerve root by a disc herniation or bone spur can result in arm pain. Inflammation related to disc tears and chronic arthritis can also result in arm pain.
Conservative therapies include rest, ice/heat, physical therapy, oral medications (anti-inflammatories, analgesics for pain, muscle relaxants) and steroid injections (ESI, nerve root injections, facet injections, trigger point injections).
Also called: Radiculopathy
Midback pain
Midback pain typically is located between the scapulae. This pain can “radiate” around the chest. Common sources of midback pain include disc degeneration, disc herniation, spinal stenosis, arthritis and muscle strains/spasm. Direct compression and inflammation are the major components of pain generation. Inflammation related to disc degeneration, disc tears and chronic arthritis can result in midback pain. Direct compression of a nerve root by a disc herniation or bone spur can result in lateral chest wall pain.
Conservative therapies include rest, ice/heat, physical therapy, oral medications (anti-inflammatories, analgesics for pain, muscle relaxants) and steroid injections (ESI, facet injections, trigger point injections).
Also called: Interscapular pain
Low back pain
Common sources of low back pain include disc degeneration, disc herniation, spinal stenosis, arthritis and muscle strains/spasm. Inflammation is a major component of the pain generation and can occur with all of the conditions listed. Inflammation can be acute such as with a disc herniation or muscle strain or chronic in the case of arthritis. Low back pain can come and go, which speaks to the variability of the inflammatory response.
Conservative therapies include rest, ice/heat, physical therapy, oral medications (anti-inflammatories, analgesics for pain, muscle relaxants) and steroid injections (ESI, facet injections, trigger point injections).
Leg pain
Common sources of cervical spine related leg pain include disc herniation, arthritis and spinal stenosis. Direct compression and inflammation are the major components of pain generation. Direct compression of a nerve root by a disc herniation or bone spur can result in leg pain. Inflammation related to disc tears and chronic arthritis can also result in leg pain.
Conservative therapies include rest, ice/heat, physical therapy, oral medications (anti-inflammatories, analgesics for pain, muscle relaxants) and steroid injections (ESI, nerve root injections, facet injections, trigger point injections).
Also called: Lumbar radiculopathy, sciatica
Referred pain
Referred pain describes pain that arises in one location but is felt in another location. This phenomenon occurs due to the complex intricate network of nerves that communicate with each other and transmit pain sensation both to the organ or limb it supplies but also to areas that the nerve does not primarily supply. For example, a disc herniation in the low back can “refer pain” down the leg and/or up the back toward the shoulders.