Most often, the back pain you're experiencing is a mechanical problem. Mechanical back pain usually occurs with activity and goes away with rest. The pain often starts in the low back, spreading into one or both buttocks. As the condition worsens, it radiates down past the back of the knee or into the foot. Your back pain may also be painful only at the center of your spine or in the hip. Pain is a signal telling us that something is wrong, so it is important to discuss your pain with your primary physician or chiropractor. At South GA Spine and Joint Center, we specialize in diagnosing and treating these conditions.
There are many areas of your spine and back that can generate pain.
Muscle: Muscles rarely send pain information, but the tendons on the ends of muscles may register pain.
Bone: The covering around the bone, called theperiosteum, has pain sensors.
Disc: The outer portion of the annulus can register pain, especially when a crack forms in this area.
Ligament: These supportive tissues have many pain sensors.
Nerve: Irritation of the sheath around the spinal nerve can register pain or other symptoms.
Joint: The capsule, or joint enclosure, has many pain sensors.
Degenerative changes often lead to certain spine conditions and pain. These conditions include:
Herniated, bulging and degenerative discs
Facet joint arthritis
Spinal stenosis
Foraminal stenosis
A disc that has been weakened may bulge, rupture or herniate. If the annulus ruptures or tears, the material in the nucleus can squeeze out of the disc, or herniate. A disc herniation usually causes pain in the leg or buttock if the disc presses against a spinal nerve. The chemicals released by the disc may also inflame the nerve root, which causes pain along the distribution of the nerve down the leg. This type of pain is called sciatica.
Even a normal disc can weaken and/or rupture. Heavy, repetitive lifting, bending and/or twisting can place too much pressure on the disc, which causes the annulus to tear and the nucleus to rupture into the spinal canal. Once the disc is injured, it may begin to degenerate. Degenerative disc disease (DDD) is a progressive disease where the disc loses water and ultimately loses its height. When the disc thins, it continues to degenerate, which can lead to the formation of osteophytes or spurs around the disc and vertebrae adjacent to the disc.
There is no cure for degenerative osteoarthritis so it is imperative to stop or slow the progression of the disease once the disc is injured. A multi-faceted approach to treating this condition is key to healing the injured disc. South GA Spine and Joint Center uses a team approach - medical care, pain management, chiropractic care, decompression therapy and physical therapy - to give you the best results possible.
Facet joint arthritis is a condition involving the facet joints along the back of the spinal column that link the vertebrae together. If a disc loses its height, the vertebra above the disc begins to press down on the vertebra below. This causes the facet joints to press together. Articular cartilage covers the surfaces where these joints meet. As this cartilage wears away, the facet joints can develop osteoarthritis. Extra pressure on the facet joints can speed the degeneration of these joints. The swelling and inflammation from an arthritic facet joint can be a source of low back pain.
Spinal stenosis is a condition where the tissues inside the spinal canal are closed in, or compressed. The spinal cord ends at L2. Below this level, the spinal canal contains spinal nerves that travel to the pelvis and legs. When stenosis narrows the spinal canal in the lower back, the spinal nerves can be pinched inside the canal.
