Conditions

Degenerative disc disease (DDD) isn’t a disease, but rather, a term to describe the effects of normal aging and wear and tear of the spinal discs. For some, the normal aging of spinal discs comes with more pain and discomfort.

The bones that make up the spine are cushioned by small, spongy discs. When these discs are healthy, they act as shock absorbers for the spine and keep the spine flexible. But when a disc is damaged, it may bulge or break open. This is called a herniated disc. It also may be called a slipped or ruptured disc.

Joint pain is indicated in many conditions, including injuries, rheumatoid arthritis, sprains and strains. Pain can range from mild and occasional to severe and chronic.

Sacroiliitis joint dysfunction is the inflammation of one or both of your sacroiliac joints, which are situated where the lower spine and pelvis connect. Sacroiliitis has been linked to a group of diseases causing inflammatory arthritis in the spine.

Intercostal neuralgia, also known as chest wall pain, is a condition that causes pain along the intercostal nerves between your ribs. It is caused by nerve compression in the area by the ribcage.

Fibromyalgia is a disorder that affects the muscles and soft tissue and causes chronic pain and fatigue. It’s characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain that is joined by extreme fatigue, excessive sleep, and memory and mood issues. 

Migraines are severe and often debilitating headaches that are estimated to impact over 3.2 million men, women and children in the United States. Migraines often begin between childhood and early adulthood, and tend to progress over four stages: Pro-drome, Aura, Attack, and Post-drome, though not all patients experience all stages.

Radiculopathy is a condition in which a spinal nerve is compressed or irritated. Radiculopathy can occur in any part of the spine, but most frequently affects the lower back (lumbar radiculopathy) and neck (cervical radiculopathy). Sciatica is another very common form of lumbar radiculopathy.

Each section of the spine has facet joints, which are located between the vertebrae. When they are located in the neck, they are called cervical facet joints. When they are located in the mid back, they are called thoracic facet joints and when they are in the lower back, they are called lumbar facet joints.

Coccyx is another name for tailbone, the triangular structure at the bottom of the spine vertebrae. It is made up of small bones that are connected by joints and ligaments. Coccyx pain (coccydynia) is often caused by a single trauma, such as a fall or during childbirth. These injuries can result in bruises, sprains, breaks or dislocation of the coccyx, and injuries are often extremely painful.

Pain in the back or neck area can be continuous or intermittent and range from mild to severe. Neck pain is defined as pain that occurs in the cervical vertebrae in your neck. Lower back pain is most common and often affects the lumbar vertebrae.

Arachnoiditis is a chronic pain condition caused by inflammation of the arachnoid membrane, which surrounds and protects the spinal cord nerves. As the disease progresses and the symptoms become worse, the inflammation can lead to scar tissue formation, which in turn can cause the spinal nerves to adhere to one another and malfunction.

An occipital headache, or neuralgia, is a condition in which the nerves that run from base of the cervical spine up through the scalp, called the occipital nerves, are inflamed or injured. You might feel pain in the back of your head or the base of your skull.

Myofascial pain is a chronic pain condition in which pressure on sensitive or trigger points in the muscle causes pain. This pain, known as referred pain, is often felt in parts of the body seemingly unrelated to the origination area.

Epidural fibrosis is the excessive production of scar tissue near the root of a nerve. Most commonly it can occur following spinal surgery. 

The word “stenosis” refers to the abnormal narrowing of a channel within the body. When used in reference to the spine, stenosis means the bone channel of the spinal cord has narrowed or is narrowing.

After any spine surgery, a percentage of patients still may experience pain. This is called failed back or failed fusion syndrome, which is characterized by uncontrollable pain and an inability to return to normal activities.