If you are experiencing disc related pain, we can get you back on track.

Experts estimate that up to 80% of the population will experience back pain at some time in their lives.
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Disc Pain

Cervical and Lumbar

Radiculopathy means there is irritation on one of the many nerves in the body due to inflammation and swelling that affects the nervous system. These symptoms follow the nerve path down to the extremities. You typically will also have local pain, muscle tightness, and can have local nerve pain. Osteoarthritis can be involved in disc pain. You may also want to view our extremity arm pain that looks at all conditions that cause nerve pain down the arm and legs.

When a nerve root is compressed, it becomes inflamed. This results in several unpleasant symptoms that may include:

  • Sharp pain in the back, arms, legs or shoulders that may worsen with certain activities, even something as simple as coughing or sneezing
  • Weakness or loss of reflexes in the arms or legs
  • Numbness of the skin, “pins and needles,” or other abnormal sensations (paresthesia) in the arms or legs, which leads to shoulder, upper arm, lower arm, and hand symptoms

 

Cervical Disc Bulge

Cervical

One of the most common misdiagnoses we see in our office is arm nerve pain being blamed on carpal tunnel syndrome or another arm entrapment syndrome because neck radiculopathy (aka a local neck impingement or a double crush syndrome) has not been considered first. Disc herniation accounts for 20-25% of the cases of cervical radiculopathy or neck-related arm nerve pain. In the younger population, cervical radiculopathy is a result of a disc herniation or an acute injury causing foraminal impingement of an exiting nerve. In the older patient, cervical radiculopathy is often a result of degenerative changes in the cervical spine and the domino affect on the joint arthirtis.              

Cervical Radiculopathy means there is irritation on one of the many nerves in the neck due to inflammation and swelling of a structure called a disc, which leads to shoulder, upper arm, lower arm, and hand symptoms. These symptoms follow the nerve path down to the hand causing numbness, tingling, burning, weakness and many other words that can be used to describe nerve pain. You typically will also have local pain, muscle tightness, and can have local nerve pain.  

How do we get neck pain?

  • Car wrecks       
  • Heavy manual labor requiring the lifting of more than 25 pounds     
  • Driving or operating vibrating equipment.     

What Can You Feel With Radiculitis?       

  • Local neck pain    
  • Traveling arm pain in a nerve pattern   
  • Muscle weakness in a group of muscles supplied by a single nerve       
  • Loss of reflexes     
  • Headaches      
  • Shoulder pain     
  • Loss of strength      
  • Sensation of tingling, burning, or numbness      
  • Muscle tightness or spasms        

Preventing your neck pain       

  • Exercise routine    
  • Use constant cueing to maintain good posture
  • Take frequent stretch breaks
  • Adjust your desk, chair, and computer so that the monitor is at eye level (90/90)  
  • Pay attention to how you use electronics, watch tv, and read, etc.
  • Avoid carrying heavy bags with straps over your shoulder
  • Sleep in a position that maintains a neutral neck angle

Degenerative Joint Disease of the Spine

Associated Degeneration in the disc

Lumbar radiculopathy is one of the most common complaints evaluated by a spine surgeon. Radiculopathy means there is irritation on one of the many nerves in the back due to inflammation and swelling of a structure called a disc. These symptoms follow the nerve path down to the hand causing numbness, tingling, burning, weakness, and many other words that can be used to describe nerve pain. You typically will also have local pain, muscle tightness, and can have local nerve pain.  

How do we get neck pain?

  • Car wrecks       
  • Heavy manual labor requiring the lifting of more than 25 pounds     
  • Driving or operating vibrating equipment     

What Can You Feel With Radiculitis?       

  • Local low back pain    
  • Traveling leg pain in a nerve pattern (sciatica)    
  • Muscle weakness in a group of muscles supplied by a single nerve       
  • Loss of reflexes          
  • Hip pain     
  • Loss of strength      
  • Sensation of tingling, burning, or numbness      
  • Muscle tightness or spasms        

Preventing your low back pain       

  • Exercise routine    
  • Use constant cueing to maintain good posture
  • Take frequent stretch breaks
  • Adjust your desk, chair, and computer so that the monitor is at eye level (90/90)  
  • Pay attention to how you use electronics, watch tv, and read, etc.
  • Avoid carrying heavy bags with straps over your shoulder
  • Sleep in a position that maintains a neutral neck angle

Just because you have a disc problem does not mean you will always be disabled.

You do not have to take unnecessary drugs or surgeries to get back your life.
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