In this article I will describe the main spinal diseases so you can identify them and prevent them from happening again. Back pain is very common, I do not know anyone who has not suffered at least once in his life. They are usually caused by a contracture caused by poor posture..
The spine is a complex structure, made up of multiple bones and joints, therefore, it is not strange that sometimes something happens in one of the structures and we feel neck, back and even leg pain.
Potential spinal-related pain problems are:
These problems can be caused by multiple conditions or conditions, including:
The main causes of back pain are listed below, categorized according to the height of the spine where the problem occurs..
Article index
The intricate structure of the cervical vertebrae is strained every day simply by everyday tasks (such as working in front of a computer) that overload it. Some of the most common conditions are:
The most common symptoms in people who suffer from this disease are neck stiffness and pain, although they may also experience tingling, numbness or weakness in the neck, shoulders and arms as a result of irritation or pinching of the nerves in the cervical area due to disc degeneration.
In addition, this disease can degenerate into cervical stenosis and other progressive diseases and increase the chances of suffering a cervical disc herniation..
Hernias occur when a portion of the inner part of the disc is displaced and pinches or presses on the nerves. Often caused by trauma or injury to the neck, symptoms appear spontaneously.
Symptoms include severe pain, tingling, and muscle weakness, often beginning in the neck and continuing to the shoulders and arms, and may even be felt in the fingers..
Cervical stenosis is a progressive disease in which nerves are pinched at the neck level..
Impingement occurs because, with age, the joints of the spinal canal stiffen and they end up pinching and compressing the nerves, causing cervical myelopathy. For obvious reasons, this condition is more common in older people..
Cervical osteoarthritis, also called degenerative joint disease or simply neck arthritis, is caused by degeneration of the neck joints.
People who suffer from this disease feel a sharp pain in the neck that spreads to the shoulders or shoulder blades, this pain is more intense at the end and at the beginning of the day and improves when the person begins to move and with rest.
Sometimes they can also suffer from headaches, especially in the back.
The most common causes of neck pain and stiffness are muscle strain or sprain, which in turn can be caused by poor posture, a sports injury, an activity that requires turning the head from one side to the other (such as swimming), suffer continuous stress, etc .; diseases of the spine, such as those explained above; infection or meningitis.
Symptoms experienced by people with this condition include pain (which can range from mild to extreme), difficulty moving the neck sideways, and sometimes headaches, shoulders, and arms..
These symptoms usually last between two days and a week and disappear spontaneously, although it is advisable to learn exercises and postures to maintain every day to prevent it from occurring again..
Although the structure formed by the dorsal vertebrae and the rib cage is quite strong and has little movement, problems can also arise in this area that cause back pain. The most common are:
Pain in the upper back is mainly caused by irritation or tension of the muscles located here, this type of pain is called myofascial. The main cause of this pain is usually poor posture.
Some problems in the joints that join the ribs and the spine can cause severe pain in this area..
These conditions are not frequent in the thoracic area, due to its stiffness, but when they occur they produce intense pain.
As we age, the cartilage located in the joints between the vertebrae tend to thin and even appear, resulting in arthritis..
This can irritate and inflame the nerves, causing pain caused by the tension and pressure caused on the nerves and limiting the movements that the person can perform.
The most common cause of chest pain is compression fractures due to osteoporosis. These fractures usually occur in the last vertebrae in this area (T9-T12).
Kyphosis can be caused by vertebral fractures, poor posture maintained for a long time, or a deformity. Although the main symptom of this condition is deformity, it can also cause pain.
Scoliosis occurs because the bones of the spine deviate abnormally to the sides and often cause pain..
The lumbar area of the spine is made up of multiple structures and, therefore, there are many causes that can give rise to low back pain, in addition the problems usually occur in several structures that are related, causing a more complex problem.
The most common causes of low back pain are:
The most common cause of low back pain is muscle problems due to muscle tension.
This can be caused by poor posture, by performing a task that involves those muscles repeatedly, or by over-exerting those muscles, for example, lifting weights. Pain caused by muscle problems usually goes away in several days.
The vertebral discs are spongy tissues located between the vertebrae so that there is no friction between them. Degeneration of these discs can cause the vertebrae to rub together and cause severe pain..
The most common place where herniated discs occur is the lower back. Hernia can occur suddenly due to injury or progressively due to wear and tear.
This condition usually causes severe pain and is the most common cause of sciatica pain reflected in the leg..
The sacroiliac joint connects the lumbar vertebrae with the coccyx. When there is a dysfunction in this joint, lumbar pain or sciatica can be suffered..
Spondylolisthesis occurs when a vertebra slides over the one just below it, compressing the nerves and can cause leg or even foot pain..
This problem usually occurs more commonly in the last lumbar vertebrae or in their union with the sacrum (L4-L5 or L5-S1).
Osteoarthritis is caused by the wear and aging of the cartilage that surround the joints.
When this cartilage thins, friction can occur between the vertebrae, leading to cracks in the bones, swelling of the joints, and pinching of nerves. The main symptoms of this condition are pain and limited mobility..
Stenosis occurs from normal aging, when the channel through which the nerves pass becomes stiff. This stiffness irritates and compresses the nerves, which can result in leg pain, tingling, numbness, and difficulty walking..
The sciatic nerve, which runs from the back to the feet through the legs, can be damaged or pinched with any of the aforementioned conditions. Sciatic nerve problems are characterized by severe, tingling pain that spreads throughout the leg.
The sacrum is a bone that connects to the pelvis (with the iliac bones) through the sacroiliac joint. Problems in this area are often referred to as sacroiliac joint dysfunctions, are more common in women than men, and can degenerate into a problem with the sciatic nerve.
Another common problem in this area is coccydynia or coccyx pain. This condition is also more common in women and is usually caused by local trauma (for example, a fall) or after childbirth..
This condition is characterized by causing intense and persistent pain at the end of the spine that worsens when that area is pressed, for example, sitting.
The spinal column is made up of 26 disc-shaped bones, called vertebrae, joined together by tendons and ligaments. This structure is highly resistant, as well as flexible, and is designed to protect the bone marrow and keep us upright..
Four regions can be differentiated in the spinal column:
The neck supports all the weight of our head and is the first protective barrier of the spinal nerves, which leave the brain and reach the lumbar area, and other nerves that innervate the rest of the body..
This region is made up of 7 vertebrae (C1-C7), the upper ones are smaller and the size of the vertebrae increases as it is lowered..
The segments between the two upper vertebrae (C1-C2 and C2-C3) * are especially important for head rotation, while the two lower segments (C5-C6 and C6-C7) are especially important for flexion and neck extension.
This area is attached to the rib cage, each vertebra is attached to a rib, and together they form a resistant structure designed to protect vital organs located in that position, such as the heart or lungs..
This region is made up of 12 vertebrae (T1-T12) that remain firm and are not very flexible, therefore, in addition to protecting the internal organs, they help us to maintain posture..
This area is much more mobile than the dorsal area, but it must also carry the entire weight of the torso and, sometimes, it is not strong enough, so it is the area of the spine that usually gives more problems.
This area is made up of 5 vertebrae (L1-L5), most of the mobility of this area is achieved thanks to the segments between the last three vertebrae (L3-L4 and L4-L5)..
The end of the lumbar area of the spine is a bone called the sacrum, this bone is embedded in the iliac bones of the pelvis through the sacroiliac joints and is shaped like a hollow triangle to connect the spinal cord with the lower part of our Body.
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