Disc Herniation

As a disc degenerates or become traumatized, the soft inner gel in the disc can leak back into the spinal canal. This is known as disc herniation. Once inside the spinal canal, the herniated disc material can put pressure on the nerve, causing pain to radiate down the…

Foraminal Stenosis

Foraminal stenosis is the narrowing of the escape route(s) where the nerves leave the spine. This narrowing can be caused by enlargement of a joint in the spinal canal or a disc herniation. The majority of symptoms with this type of spinal stenosis are usually caused…

Sciatica

Sciatica is a term used to describe the symptoms of leg pain, tingling, numbness, or weakness that travel down the low back via the sciatic nerve in the back of the leg. Sciatica (sometimes known as radiculopathy) is a description of symptoms, not a diagnosis…

Spondylolisthesis

Spondylolisthesis is a condition in which one vertebra slips forward over the one below it. Spondylolisthesis is a fairly common cause of lower back pain and leg pain in younger adults (age 30 to 50), and degenerative spondylolisthesis is a fairly common cause of pain…

Ruptured Disc

A ruptured disc can occur in the cervical (neck), thoracic (upper) or lumbar (lower) spine. They tend to be most common in the lower back because the lower back bears the most torque and force on a day-to-day basis. It should be kept in mind that all the…

Spinal Stenosis

In medical terms, stenosis means the abnormal narrowing of a body channel. When combined with the word spinal, it defines a narrowing of the bone channel occupied by the spinal nerves or the spinal cord. Some people are born with a congenital form, but most develop…

Pinched Nerve

There are many terms used to describe spinal pathology and its associated pain syndrome, such as “herniated disc,” “slipped disc”, “pinched nerve,” “bulging disc,” etcetera. All are used differently and, at times, interchangeably….

Disc Bulging

A bulging disc is a condition in which the nucleus (inner portion) of a spinal disc remains contained within the annulus fibrosus (outer portion), unlike a herniated disc in which the nucleus leaks out of the disc. This protrusion or bulge can put pressure on the…