A basic understanding of the common causes of back and neck pain and how Spinal Decompression(SD) works to alleviate them can help you make a more informed decision concerning your treatment options. Accidents and injury may damage discs and vertebrae, putting pressure on the nerves. This results in tingling, numbness, muscle weakness, or even sharp, shooting, pain. Described and illustrated below are some of the more common diagnoses for back and neck pain.

Bulging and Herniated Discs:

Discs are located between each vertebra and provide flexibility and shock absorbtion for the spine. The thick, fibrous outer disc wall, known as the annulus fibrosus, surrounds a jelly like center, called the nucleus pulposus. Discs undergo tremendous amounts of stress, which can sometimes lead to a bulging disc, a weakening of the disc wall that causes the disc to bulge out and press painfully on surrounding nerves. A herniated disc occurs when the pressure within a disc becomes too great, tearing through the disc wall, allowing a portion of the nucleus pulposus to protrude. The escaped nucleus pulposus may then impinge painfully on nerve roots, leading also to numbness, tingling, and/or muscle weakness associated with the condition of sciatic pain. The illustration shows an example of bulging and herniated discs.

 

Degenerative Disc Disease:

Degenerative disc disease is not technically a disease, but rather a state of disc dehydration and deterioration due to a combination of cumulative trauma, poor dietary and exercise habits, and aging. As discs degenerate they become more prone to failure from physical stress, which may tear disc fibers and result in more complications, such as osteoarthritis, disc bulging, disc herniation, and stenosis. Many spine experts surmise that the vacuum of negative pressure created in the discs by SD can actually help attract moisture from surrounding tissues, rehydrating and revitalizing thinning and torn degenerated discs.

Facet syndrome is often associated with degenerative disc disease and soft tissue damage in the lumbar spine. Facets are the bony wing-like protrusions extending from the back of the vertebrae that align with facets on the vertebrae above and below. As a result of lost disc height for one reason or another, the spine may shift its weight, adding pressure to facet joints. Bearing the brunt of all that weight can lead to tearing or degeneration of the ligaments, as well as inflammation of surrounding tissues. Adhesions over the joint surface usually form over time, leading to loss of mobility and breakdown of facet cartilage. Symptoms are usually characterized as a deep ache in the lower back that may extend to the buttocks, hips, and even below the knee.

Sciatica

Sciatica is the sensation of pain, tingling, or numbness in the buttocks and/or legs produced by an irritation of the sciatic nerve. Multiple nerve roots extend from the spinal cord between the vertebrae and join to form the sciatic nerve, which branches as it descends into the buttocks, down each leg to the ankles and feet. The primary causes of sciatica are herniated, bulging, or degenerated discs, which induce pressure on the spinal nerve roots.

Other causes include small, bony growths on the spine(bone spurs) or compression of the nerves through injury. In rare cases, the sciatic nerve may be irritated by conditions such as piriformis syndrome, tumors, or pregnancy.