Posts Tagged ‘Spinal Canal’
Diagnosed With a Herniated Disc? What to Do Next…
You’ve probably heard people say they have a “slipped” or “ruptured” disc in the back. Sometimes they complain that their back “went out”. What they’re most likely describing is a herniated disc. This condition is a common source of back and leg pain.
Discs are soft cushions found between the vertebrae that make up the spinal column (your backbone). In the middle of the spinal column is the spinal canal, a hollow space that contains the spinal cord. The nerves that supply the arms, leg, and torso come from the spinal cord. The nerves from the neck supply the arms and hands, and the nerves from the low back supply the butt and legs. The discs between the vertebrae allow the back to move freely and act like shock absorbers.
The disc is made up of two main sections. The outer part (the annulus) is made up of tough cartilage that is comprised of series of rings. The center of the disc is a jelly-like substance called the nucleus pulposus. A disc herniates or ruptures when part of the jelly center pushes through the outer wall of the disc into the spinal canal, and puts pressure on the nerves. A disc bulge is when the jelly substance pushes the outer wall but doesn’t completely go through the wall.
What do you feel?
Low back pain will affect four out of five people during their lifetime. The most common symptom of a herniated disc is “sciatica”. Sciatica is best described as a sharp, often shooting pain that begins in the buttocks and goes down the back of one leg. This is most often caused by pressure on the sciatic nerve that exits the spinal cord. Other symptoms include:
Weakness in one leg or both legs
Numbness and tingling in one leg (pins & needles)
A burning pain centered in the low back
Loss of bladder or bowel control (seek medical attention immediately)
Back pain with gradually increasing leg pain. (If you have weakness in both legs. Seek immediate attention.)
How do you know you have a herniated disc?
Your medical history is key to a proper diagnosis. A physical examination can usually determine which nerve roots are affected (and how seriously). A simple x-ray may show evidence of disc or degenerative spine changes. An MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) is usually the best option (most expensive) to determine which disc has herniated.
Why do discs herniate?
Discs are primarily composed of water. As we become older (after the age of 30), the water content decreases, so the discs begin to shrink and lose their shape. When the disc becomes smaller the space between the vertebrae decreases and become narrower. Also, as the disc loses water content the disc itself becomes less flexible.
While aging, excess weight, improper lifting and the decrease in water in the discs all contribute to the breaking down of discs, the primary cause of a herniation or bluge is uneven compression and torsion that’s placed on the discs.
This uneven pressure is caused by imbalances in muscles that pull the spine out of its normal position and then your body is forced to function in what I call a physical dysfunction. Every human being develops these dysfunctions over time and eventually they cause enough damage to create pain.
The best treatment options
When it comes to treating a herniated disc, there are traditional treatments such as ice/heat, ultrasound, electrical stimulation, cortisone injections, anti-inflammatory medications and even surgery. While these may deliver some relief, it will usually be temporary if at all.
But the major problem with these traditional treatments is that they can’t fix or heal a herniated disc as they do not address the actual cause of the problem. For example, even if you were to have a surgery and get some pain relief, the fact is the dysfunctions that caused the disc to herniated in the first place are still there and if not addressed, they will continue to place uneven pressure and strain on the discs and sooner or later you will likely have another problem with that disc, or others.
Without identifying and addressing the underlying cause of the problem, which is the physical dysfunctions caused by imbalances in muscles, you will likely continue to suffer with this condition and the continuous flare ups for years.
Unfortunately, most doctors, chiropractors and physical therapists don’t spend time or focus on identifying the physical dysfunctions that are responsible for the condition so most people end up jumping from one useless traditional treatment to the next and suffer for months or years unnecessarily.
If you have been diagnosed with a herniated disc, or are wondering if your back pain may be caused by a herniated disc, either way you must identify and address the physical dysfunctions that are causing your pain as part of your recovery.
Dr. Robert Duvall, Dpt, Atc
http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/diagnosed-with-a-herniated-disc-what-to-do-next-88812.html
Instant Injections For Instant Back Pain Relief
Back pain has become a very common problem that people suffer from. And reasons for it can be many. It can range from sitting or walking in bad postures to a fractured vertebra or other abnormalities in the spine.
So the best way to get your back pain treated is by first diagnosing the true cause and then offering the best treatment available. With revolutionary inventions in the field of medicine, there have come up many medications that are very effective in treating acute back pain problems. Latest in this line are instant relief injections.
Researchers have proved that people get more relief when the drugs are delivered in their body using injections. Some of the commonly used injections to cure back pain are:
Epidural Injections
The space that occurs in the spinal canal is termed as the epidural space. Back pain can occur due to the inflammation of the nerves and the soft tissues that are present in and around this area. Administration of epidermal steroid injections helps in reducing this inflammation, thereby bringing a constant relief to the patient. These injections are administered in a set of three. The list of backache problem that they treat is sciatica, spinal stenosis, disc herniation, radiculpathy and low back pain.
Facet Injections
The joints present at the posterior part of the spine are known as the facet joints. Between every vertebra, there occurs one set of two facet joints. Arthritis is the problem that creates problem in these joints. Arthritis in turn is a big cause of back pain. Administrating injection with the desired drug can bring instant relief to your back pain.
Transforaminal Epidural Injections
The injections falling in this category are administered to the pain causing nerve with the help of local anesthesia or steroids. The drug disables the specific nerve that was causing pain. The reason for this pain causing nerve can be an injury.
Intrathecal Pain Pump
Intrathecal space is the area around the spinal cord. A set of intrathecal pain pump injections is usually used to treat chronic back pain, pain due to cancer and also spasticity. The best part about these injections is that they have few side effects. The therapy involves the usage of a small pump. This pump is placed surgically under the abdomen. This set up helps to deliver the drug directly into the intrathecal space of the spine.
Sympathetic Blocks
An increased activity in your sympathetic nervous system can also be a cause of your acute back pain. The condition that arises due to this is termed as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome or CRPS. As the name suggests, administration of these sympathetic blockers block the hyper-activity of these nerve cells, thus bringing instantaneous relief in your pain.
The spinal cord is a very important organ of the body. It is a passage of all the messages generated in body to brain. These injections have proved to be the best treatment available to cure back pain. The reason being that the drugs used in these injections are administered directly to the area where pain is occurring. And thus minimizes the side effects that may occur in the course of any other indirect treatment.
Ashish Jain
http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/instant-injections-for-instant-back-pain-relief-119946.html
Can Epidural Steroid Injections Help My Lower Back Pain?
Lower back pain is an all-too-common condition that many of us will experience at some point in our lives. Although many of us may be able to control this pain through over-the-counter painkillers or perhaps some light physical therapy and bed rest, there are going to be some of us that have back pain to the extent where we need to seek medical attention.
A common type of back pain or pinched nerve pain is a result of a slipped or herniated disc. These discs are gel filled material that exist between the vertebrae of our spine and allow the vertebrae to move independently of each other and also protect it from damage. Should these happen to crack or slip out of place, the pain that we experience can be extremely severe. Back pain sufferers have many choices of treatment. Options include physical therapy, bed rest, traction, spinal decompression, painkillers, surgery and natural forms of treatment.
There may be times, however, whenever an epidural steroid injection is prescribed. What exactly is an epidural steroid injection, how is it administered and what can it do for you?
An epidural generally refers to an injection which goes into the epidural space in the spinal column. The epidural space is in the outermost part of the spinal canal and it lies outside of the dura matter which encases the spinal column. The injected steroids mimic cortisone and hydrocortisone which can reduce the inflammation that surround the affected nerves. This can give almost immediate relief to the pain that is experienced in this area and can help to keep the inflammation down for a considerable amount of time in order to allow for more effective pain management.
Unfortunately, relief from epidural steroid injections is usually temporary. Also, the steroids that are injected can have side effects which may include weakened muscles, a decrease in bone density, and possible lowering of the steroids that your body produces naturally.
Be sure to discuss with your personal physician the pros and cons of epidural steroid injections for providing back pain and pinched nerve pain relief.
Dan Raymond
http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/can-epidural-steroid-injections-help-my-lower-back-pain-611854.html
Cervical Laminectomy in India: Low Cost Spine Treatment With Fine Quality
Cervical Laminectomy in India has truly proved itself as a low cost spine treatment with fine quality. India has become the Mecca of getting modern spine surgery procedures at an affordable cost budget and Indian medical institutions are providing an appealing quality medical care facilities to its abroad medical clients who visit India for getting spine treatment. Cervical laminectomy saves from spinal stenosis disorder preoperative medical studies show that adequate space is available at the cephalad adjacent level to allow sufficient cord shift after the process of cervical laminectomy. Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal, which exerts compression on the spinal cord. If the stenosis is located on the lower part of the spinal cord it is called lumbar spinal stenosis. If the spinal stenosis is in the upper part of the spinal cord it is called cervical spinal stenosis. While spinal stenosis can be found in any part of the spine, the lumbar and cervical areas are the most commonly affected. Now spine surgeons of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore metro cities are using relatively modern medical technology to cure spinal stenosis through an outpatient cervical laminectomy in India.
Cervical Laminectomy in India is proving itself as an efficient spine cure procedure to get cure from long term spinal cord decompression. Cervical Laminectomy is a spine procedure done to cure spinal stenosis. The back of the spinal canal is removed by cutting the lamina to provide more space for the spinal cord and nerve roots. By relieving pressure on the spinal cord the procedure of cervical laminectomy stops the progression of damage to the spinal cord and allows for as much recovery of function as possible. During the procedure of cervical laminectomy the lamina and spinous process are removed relieving pressure on the spinal cord and nerve roots. Cervical laminectomy can be an effective spine treatment solution to treat multilevel spinal cord compression and provides the benefit of getting immediate stability for the spinal cord. Direct decompression of the spinal cord is achieved by removal of posterior compressive bone, as well as infolding, hypertrophied ligamentum flavum. In addition, indirect decompression of the anterior aspect of the spinal cord can be achieved with a cervical spine laminectomy.
Spine treatment hospitals in India at Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore carry the best health care facilities and medical technology so abroad patients prefer to get cervical laminectomy in India rather than in USA, Canada and England as India provides a low cost package for spine treatment procedures plus one gets a very fine quality of medical care and the post surgery results after getting spine treatment in India assures speedy health recovery. Medical trip to India is made more comfortable and of economical budget by medical tourism in India that suggests the best medical options and provides advanced arrangement for travel and medical lodging at the best medical recovery centers plus it also provides additional incentives like medical visa approval, air port pick up and inland conveyance. It also provides holiday vacation tours to those medical clients who wish to visit Indian tourist resorts. Know more about cervical laminectomy in India at http://www.dheerajbojwani.com or mail at contact@dheerajbojwani.com
Praveen Anand Nagesham
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/cervical-laminectomy-in-india-low-cost-spine-treatment-with-fine-quality-748372.html
Get Rid From Back Pain
Back pain is in general a common problem that every one faces. It is a vulnerable problem that a person of any age experiences. Children, Adults, Pregnant woman, or a person of old age can also face the back pain problem. There may be several factors behind your back pain problem as it is not restricted only to one particular reason. And so people needs to face loads of trouble during back pain to cure it. Your prime duty is to know the causes and take some preventive measures so that you need not feel the pain during backache.
There can be varied causes for back pain:
Lumbar Muscle Strain: Straining of muscles is the most common cause of low back pain. Chances are bright in this case that a patient may completely feel relieve from muscle strain.
Spondylolisthesis: In this case the adjacent vertebra becomes unbalanced and begins to ‘slip’ which causes back pain and if it still prolongs then back pain can turn to be a serious problem.
Osteoporosis: A patient needs to face this problem because of compression fracture of the vertebra. You may face orthopedic problem and much of uneasiness too. It also leads to feeble bones.
Ruptured Disc: It is also called as Herniated Disc which causes back pain. The treatment of herniated disc depends and differs on an individual’s condition and circumstances. It is incorrectly being called in general as “Slipped Disc”, affecting the spine, in which a tear in the outer, fibrous ring of an intervertebral disc allows the soft, central portion to bulge out. Herniated Discs are found in ? of adults older than 20.
Spinal Stenosis: This is a medical condition in which the spinal canal narrows and compresses the spinal cord and nerve. In the aging population, when the spinal canal becomes too stiff then it can result into back pain. A patient suffering under this situation may even feel minor trauma causing irritation and nerve root impingement which indirectly results into back ache.
There are many of causes of back ache that can put you into serious health trouble. For acute back pain the underlying cause is meniscoid occlusion. You may get startled to know that the lower back pain causes also differ as per the person’s age. Some of the common causes of back pain for adults under age 50 include spinal disc, herniation and degenerative disc disease or isthmic spondylolisthesis. And for adults over age 50 include osteoarthritis (degenerative joint disease) and spinal stenosis, trauma, cancer, infection, fractures, and inflammatory disease.
Thus, to cure your back pain you need to practice exercises regularly. Collect information to know back pain causes and if the situation worsens then it is highly recommended to consult doctor for the betterment of your health.
Bella Mclaine
http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/get-rid-from-back-pain-711776.html
