PATIENT INFORMATION

About Back Pain

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Common Symptoms

Back pain can be felt constantly or intermittently, and may be dull, sharp, piercing, or a burning sensation. The pain can stay in one place or refer (or radiate) to other areas, such as the front, sides, back, and legs. Low back pain is often associated with radiating leg pain.



Acute pain comes on suddenly, and can be severe, but usually lasts a relatively short time. Chronic pain is a persistent state of pain that does not get better on its own over time. Besides pain, other symptoms are often associated with back pain, such as muscle spasm, stiffness, decreased motion, numbness in the groin, shifted posture, and muscle weakness. Acute pain is more common and many of these symptoms will clear up within a short period of time. If symptoms persist, you should consult your doctor.

Causes of Back Pain

Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD)

DDD is defined simply as the wear and tear of the intervertebral disc, which may represent normal aging or may be due to longstanding trauma. It involves small tears in the annulus and lack of water content of the nucleus. The degenerative cascade can lead to disc bulging, development of bone spurs (or osteophytes), and loss of disc space height and/or alignment, which can cause nerve impingement. DDD can also lead to degenerative instability, the loss of the ability of the spine under physiologic loads to maintain its pattern of normal movement due to disc degeneration.



Disc Herniation

Posterior displacement of disc tissue from the intervertebral disc space produces pressure on the nerve roots or on the contents of the spinal canal. This pressure causes pain down into the legs.



Disc herniations are often treated surgically to relieve nerve compression.

Degenerative Scoliosis

Degenerative scoliosis is a medical condition where a right-left curvature of the spine develops, due to degeneration of the disc. This misalignment of the spine can cause back and/or leg pain, due to muscle fatigue and nerve impingement. Patients suffering from scoliosis often undergo back surgery to restore proper alignment and disc height.



During the procedure, the surgeon removes most of the disc between the two or more vertebrae that are to be stabilized and implants a spacer to restore correct spinal alignment. The surgeon also implants bone-forming cells that bridge the space between the vertebrae and allow the bone to grow together. Increased stability and restoration of alignment often result in significant pain relief.

Spondylolisthesis

From “spondy” meaning spine and “listhesis” meaning to slip, this is a slipped spine or a spinal segment which has slipped over another. This movement can be caused by fracture, by degenerated facet joints which override one another (degenerative spondylolisthesis), or by elongated bones. This condition can also be due to a congenital pars fracture. Spondylolisthesis is graded 1-4 with Grade 1 being the least severe and Grade 4 the most. Grade 1 is usually treated nonoperatively first. However, failure of conservative management may require surgical fusion.



Spinal Stenosis

Stenosis is the narrowing of the canals through which nerves travel. Stenosis may occur in any region of the spine. It may be central, on one side, or on both sides. The narrowing seen in spinal stenosis may be produced by soft tissue changes (such as disc herniation, fibrous scar, or tumor), or it may be the result of bony changes. The reduced volume and altered shape of the canal can lead to compression of nerve elements within the spinal canal and intervertebral spaces.



The materials on this Web site are for your general educational information only. Information you read on this Web site cannot replace the relationship that you have with your healthcare professional. We do not practice medicine or provide medical services or advice as a part of this Web site. You should always talk to your healthcare professional for diagnosis and treatment. Please use the Physician Locator on www.lateralaccess.org to find a SOLAS™ surgeon in your area.

Nate “Rock” Quarry is a paid spokesperson for NuVasive®, Inc.