Neck and Lower Back Pain
Osteoarthritis (OA)
On the spine is wear and tear and also called degenerative joint disease as arthritis on the spine affects the vertebrae.vertebrae.
Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD)
Just like osteoarthritis DDD can affect the spinal disc (padding between the vertebrae). When you lose some of the fluid in the disc it is seen as a dark on MRI and considered degenerative changes.
Young Adults and kids with Back Pain
Back pain in younger populations more likely will be from overuse, improper training and poor posture. There also is the small possibility of something more serious like tumor or infection in which we would refer to an appropriate specialist.
Psychological
Any time someone is in pain, missing sports or activities they love there is the chance of a psychological (depression) component that might need to be addressed to have the chance of full recovery. At Spine and Sports we try to find activities for our pain patients to do and not focus on what they can’t do.
Herniated, Protruded and Bulging Discs
There are two parts of the disc, the inner part called the Nucleus Pulposis and the outer part called the Annulus Fibrosis. A disc herniation affects the relationship between the inner and outer disc:
- The Annulus Could Tear
- The Nucleus Could cause bulging of Annulus
- The Nucleus could rupture through the Annulus
Leg or Arm pain
Depending on the injury patients could experience radiating pain to the upper or lower extremities.
Chronic Back Pain
Pain lasting longer than three months. Chronic pain without treatment will most likely need proper history, evaluation and treatment plan to find root cause and come up with a proper treatment and rehab program.
Spinal Fracture
Spinal fractures could be caused by trauma, repetitive stress, osteoporosis or Tumors. Imaging would be important to determine the cause and location of the fracture.
Pregnancy and Back Pain
Back pain due to pregnancy is commonly seen in our office.
Sacro-Iliac Dysfunction
The Sacrum is the bone at the base of your spine and connects your Sacrum and Ilium along with a connection to the tailbone (Coccyx). When this joint has been stressed due to trauma, repetitive strain or muscular imbalance the bones and ligaments can get affected and dysfunction either hyper or hypomobility can occur.
Sciatica
The Sciatic Nerve travels from the spine to the legs. If the nerve is irritated it is called Sciatica. The cause of sciatic could be anywhere along its path from spine to legs. The most common cause we see is from the spine but it also can be compromised in the Buttock muscles as well. The sciatic nerve has variants of normal and when the nerve is compressed by the Piriformis Muscle it is called Piriformis Syndrome.
Scoliosis
A side-to-side curvature of the spine is called scoliosis and develops more commonly in kids and curves will usually stop when the child stops growing. In the older population, scoliosis can occur due to degenerative changes – Arthritis.
Spinal Stenosis
Narrowing of the area in the spine where the nerve can be compromised is called spinal stenosis. There are several causes of stenosis including arthritis, genetics in which you were born with a narrow area to begin with.
Spondylolisthesis
Most commonly seenIn growing teenagers who perform and activity the puts increase stress on the joints of their spine ( gymnastics, diving, weight lifting, football) the vertebrae can develop a stress fracture and is called Spondylolisis and if the vertebrae slips forward it is call Spondylolisthesis. If this is diagnosed early typically with MRI the initial treatment might include bracing to try and heal the stress fracture. There are also traumatic and degenerative processes that can cause a vertebrae to slip.
If you experience any of these symptoms, get medical attention:
- Back pain that gets progressively worse
- Pain that persists for more than two weeks or is recurring
- Pain that affects your balance or mobility
- Pain or numbness that radiates to your legs or arms and causes weakness
- Bladder or bowel changes with back pain or numbness
Ready to get started?
All Spine & Sports Injury Center Providers in our Back Bay and Downtown office can assess your pain and help determine the exact cause of your pain. We can then help you develop a plan of action to relieve your back pain and then help you prevent recurrences.
CONTACT US »
