According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS), almost everyone will experience low back pain. There are many causes. Your spine is made up of bones called vertebrae separated by cushions, called discs. The vertebrae are attached to spinal muscles and to each other by ligaments and tendons. A … Read More
Your sciatic nerve is the main nerve supplying your leg. This large nerve leaves your spinal cord in your lower back and passes between the bones (vertebrae) of your spine. Pinching (compression) of the nerve where it passes between the spinal vertebrae is the usual cause of sciatica. Compression is … Read More
No one seems to know how the phrase “throwing your back out” originated, but almost everyone knows what it means: You’ve injured your back and it really hurts. When you yell out "threw out my back!” you’ll know the pain immediately. There will be a sharp, severe pain, usually in … Read More
A shooting pain that takes your breath away. A throbbing ache that won’t let up. Tingling fingers and toes. Nerve pain comes in various forms and can be debilitating in many ways—depression, anxiety, and infections, for example. Our bodies contain billions of nerves that send billions of messages to our … Read More
One warm day last fall, my son begged me to play soccer with him in the backyard. More often than not, I have to say “no” to these daily requests because my body won’t let me join in the fun. That day, though, I was feeling pretty good. The daily … Read More
Low back pain is extremely common and affects most people at some point in their lifetime. Estimates show that up to 36 percent of us will suffer from a new or recurrent episode of low back pain in a given year. Much of it originates in the lumbar area. If … Read More
What is spinal stenosis? It's a condition in which the spinal canal narrows due to: A herniated disc that encroaches on the spinal canal from the front Thickened ligaments that encroach on the canal from both sides. A narrowed spinal canal impedes the blood supply to the nerves, causing pain. … Read More
A pinched nerve is a nerve under abnormal pressure—a compressed nerve. The pressure can come from adjacent bones or soft tissues such as tendons, ligaments, muscles, or cartilage. When that happens, the brain sends a signal that causes pain, weakness, or a numb feeling. But what are the most common … Read More
From head to toe, nerve damage can affect any part of the body. The condition is surprisingly prevalent—20 million people in the U.S. alone. Half of all people with diabetes have some form of nerve damage, according to the American Diabetes Association, and diabetic neuropathy is just one of more … Read More
Back pain is normally in your lower back and may cause muscle spasms. But when is back pain serious? A back pain red-flag warning is when the pain is intense, spreads down one or both legs, causes weakness or numbness, or follows a fall or a blow to your back. … Read More
