Conditions

Sciatica Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment

Sciatica is pain that radiates from the lower back along the sciatic nerve. You can probably relieve sciatica without surgery, but surgery can be effective too. Learn your options here.

Say What? Osteoid Osteoma of the Spine

Osteoid osteoma is a fancy term for small, benign, bonelike tumors that can grow on the spine (among other areas). Although they’re not cancerous, they can cause pain and abnormal spine curves. Here’s how to get rid of them.

Scoliosis Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment

SpineUniverse's Scoliosis Center offers accurate information about the diagnosis and treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, adult spinal scoliosis, and degenerative scoliosis.

Surviving a Broken Neck—and Thriving After Recovery

Not only can you survive a broken neck, but you can thrive with little ill effects—with the right treatment and recovery. Here’s how one man did it, and turned a disability into an asset.

How Do You Know When Back Pain Is Serious?

Back pain usually goes away on its own, but what if it doesn’t? How do you know if your back pain is serious? Look for these red flags.

Spine Injuries from an Accident: Get the Basics

Car accidents are a rising trend in spine injuries. Here’s what you need to know about accident-related injuries, treatment, recovery, legal issues and more.

Surgery for Sciatica

If you’ve tried every conservative sciatica treatment under the sun with no relief, it may be time to consider surgery. Here’s how to prepare and how to recover from sciatica surgery.

Spinal Meningitis: Your Questions, Answered

Meningitis: It’s not just for the brain. Spinal meningitis affects the protective lining of the spinal cord. Learn how to recognize it, and how it’s treated.

How to Tell if Your Sciatica is Actually Piriformis Syndrome

When Your Sciatica Just Won’t Quit You Might Have a Misdiagnosed Case of Piriformis Syndrome

Alternative Treatments for Spinal Stenosis

Symptoms of spinal stenosis may be treated using complementary, integrative and alternative therapies, such as acupuncture and massage.

The Ultimate Guide to Back Spasms

Ever had a charley horse? Fun, right? Now imagine it’s in your back. That’s a back spasm. Here’s why they happen and what you can do to get rid of it.

Battling Bertolotti Syndrome: What You Need to Know

Bertolotti syndrome might not be a usual suspect in lower back pain, but diagnostic detective work can uncover this common congenital condition.

Sciatica Self-care: 5 At-home Remedies for Low Back and Leg Pain

These 5 at-home sciatica therapies are good options for people who recently started experiencing sciatic nerve pain or whose low back and leg pain is not severe.

Can IBS Cause Back Pain?

Can IBS cause back pain? How are the two related? What are the treatments for IBS—and can those therapies help ease discomfort in your back? Find out here.

Treating Adult Onset Scoliosis Starts with Nonsurgical Approaches

Scoliosis doesn’t just affect kids. Scoliosis in adults is often due to degenerating discs in the spine. Nonsurgical treatment usually works well.

6 Leading Causes of Sciatica and Sciatic Nerve Pain

Sciatica, also called lumbar radiculopathy, is mild to intense pain that radiates from the low back into the left or right leg. Sciatic nerve pain symptoms include numbness, tingling sensations, and weakness.

Sciatica Exercises: 4 Stretches for Sciatica Pain

These 4 sciatica exercises may help you reduce your sciatic nerve pain in your low back and leg. Each low-impact exercise is demonstrated in narrated videos and written instructions are provided to help you fine-tune your sciatica home exercise program.

Spondylosis (Spinal Osteoarthritis) Center

Spondylosis, or spinal osteoarthritis, is a painful condition that's caused by aging and wear-and-tear on the spine. There's no cure but it can be managed.

Non-surgical Treatment of Spondylosis (Spinal Osteoarthritis)

Most people with spinal osteoarthritis do not need surgery. Many of the common nonoperative treatments are featured in this article.

Cervical Spondylosis: Patient History and Case

Cervical spondylosis is spinal osteoarthritis affecting the neck. This patient case reviews the evaluation and treatment of a woman who developed spondylosis as a result of a car accident.

Exams and Tests for Spondylosis

To make an accurate diagnosis of spondylosis, your doctor will do physical and neurological exams. You'll need to have x-rays, CT scans, or MRIs, too.

Causes of Spondylosis

Spondylosis is often a result of aging and is a type of arthritis called spinal osteoarthritis. Aging and wear and tear contributes to degenerative changes in the spine causing neck and back pain.

Spinal Arthritis: Symptoms

Spondylosis is arthritis of the spine or spinal osteoarthritis. Common spondylosis symptoms include pain and stiffness in the neck, mid back and low back (lumbar spondylosis).

Axial Spondyloarthritis Is Inflammatory Spinal Arthritis

Axial spondyloarthritis types, symptoms, how diagnosed and treated. AxSpA is spinal inflammatory arthritis; an underlying cause of back pain and neck pain.

Symptoms of Upper Back Pain

Common upper back pain symptoms include muscle stiffness, tightness, and tenderness. Upper back pain is often related to muscle or soft tissue problems. Learn more.

Upper Cervical Spine Disorders: Anatomy of the Head and Upper Neck

Head and upper neck disorders may be called craniovertebral or craniocervical junction abnormalities (CVJ). This information can help you understand key anatomical structures in the skull and spine.

Thyroid Disorders Can Raise Risk for Osteoporosis and Spinal Fracture

Hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism are thyroid disorders that increase risk for osteoporosis and painful spinal fracture, such as vertebral compression fractures.

Epidural Corticosteroid Injections and Low Back Pain

Epidural steroid injections may be part of a treatment program that includes an active exercise program and may assist in avoiding the need for surgical intervention.

Coccydynia is Tailbone Pain

Coccydynia is the medical term for tailbone pain in your coccyx. Coccydynia symptoms can make sitting painful and uncomfortable.

TENS Reduced Fibromyalgia Pain and Fatigue in Women

TENS, transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation, reduced movement-related fibromyalgia pain and fatigue in women according to study findings.

Cervical Herniated Disc or Ruptured Disc

A cervical herniated disc is a common cause of neck pain that may radiate into the shoulders and arms often resulting from spinal nerve compression. Sensations of numbness and tingling are typical symptoms, and some patients experience muscle spasms. Movement can aggravate and intensify neck pain.

Anatomy of a Herniated Disc

Why do most herniated discs happen in the low back or lumbar spine? Learn about the anatomy of a herniated disc as well as why it can cause symptoms such as low back pain and leg pain.

Sciatica Cause Not Always Spine-Related

Sciatica nerve pain and related sciatic symptoms are not always caused by low back disorders in the lumbar spine.

Retrolisthesis Differs From Spondylolisthesis

Retrolisthesis happens when a vertebral body slips backwards; this uncommon spine condition is the opposite of spondylolisthesis.

I Have Osteoporosis and Need Spine Surgery, What’s Next?

Osteoporosis and low bone density is a risk for complication in back and neck spine surgery. Orthopaedic spine surgeon shares his surgical expertise about low bone density and spine surgery.

Osteophytes (Bone Spurs)

Osteophytes are smooth bony overgrowths called bone spurs that may develop in older adults in response to degenerative spinal changes.

Spinal Muscular Atrophy: Causes, Types, Symptoms, Diagnosis

Spinal muscular atrophy is a genetic disorder that affects nerve cells in the spinal cord responsible for muscle movement and control.

Common Herniated Disc Questions

What causes a herniated disc? Will you need surgery to treat a herniated disc? Get answers to these and other common herniated disc questions.

Facts and Tips about Ankylosing Spondylitis

Who gets ankylosing spondylitis more frequently: males or females? Is exercise a good idea if you have AS? Learn the answers to those questions, plus read other facts and tips about this spinal condition.

Could Slipping Rib Syndrome Be Causing Your Back Pain?

Slipping rib syndrome is a painful and rare disorder also known as floating rib syndrome, lost rib syndrome, costal chondritis or costochondritis, and Tietze syndrome.

How Common are Cell Phone-Related Head and Neck Injuries?

Study reports cell phone-related head and neck injuries are on the rise, especially since release of the first iPhone.

Scheuermann's Kyphosis (Scheuermann's Disease): Abnormal Curvature of the Spine

A normal, healthy spine should have curves in it. When you look at it from the side, you should see these curves. However, too much curvature in the thoracic spine (mid-back) can be problematic. That’s a condition called kyphosis.

Osteoporosis and Chiropractic Care

What you need to know about chiropractic care if you have osteoporosis. If you’ve been diagnosed with osteoporosis and/or have suffered a spinal fracture, it is important to coordinate your care with your primary care physician (PCP), orthopaedist and/or other medical professional involved in your osteoporosis care.

Upper Back Pain Causes

Nine potential causes of upper back pain include some you can avoid.

What You Need to Know About Failed Back Surgery Syndrome

Failed back surgery doesn’t suggest that you or your surgeon have failed. Many different factors can lead to failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS, FBS, post-laminectomy syndrome) are out of your control.

Whiplash Center

Whiplash is the term for a neck sprain or strain resulting from hyperextension and hyperflexion of the head and cervical spine. Neck pain may travel into the upper back and shoulders.

Upper Back Pain Center

Pain in the upper and/or mid back is less common than lower back or neck pain. The upper back is the region below the cervical spine (neck) and above the low back (lumbar spine).

Back Sprains and Strains Center

Back sprains and back strains are a common cause of low back pain that can be acute. A sprain is caused when a spinal ligament becomes overstretched or torn. A back sprain involves a spinal muscle or tendon.

Spondylolisthesis Center

Spondylolisthesis occurs when one vertebra slips forward over the vertebra below it. The term is pronounced spondy-low-lis-thesis and is derived from the Greek language: spondylo means vertebra and listhesis means to slip. There are several types or causes of spondylolisthesis.

Spinal Tumors Center

The SpineUniverse Spinal Tumors Center provides a wide variety of information about spinal tumors written by physicians and experts. Here you can learn about different types of spinal tumors, the diagnostic process, and treatment options.

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Conditions