Conditions

Back Pain Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis and Treatment

Back pain - upper back, mid-back, or lower back (lumbago) - is incredibly common and can be caused, directly or incidentally, by a number of conditions.

Lumbar Pillows for Low Back Pain Relief

Lower back pain can make sitting a nightmare, but a lumbar pillow can help. Learn why you may want a lumbar pillow and what you need to know to find the right one.

Is My Back Pain a Medical Condition?

Back pain often comes directly from back or spinal structures, but sometimes it’s a sign of a medical condition elsewhere in your body. Here’s what else could be causing your back pain.

Is Neck Crepitus Something to Worry About?

Neck crepitus is a grinding sound your neck makes. It’s usually not something to worry about, but here’s what it means.

Spinal Stenosis Center

Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal. It's one of the most common back pain causing conditions and has a variety of causes.

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.

Your Guide to Managing Rheumatoid Arthritis Flare Ups

Just when you thought your back was safe from rheumatoid arthritis, an RA flare up strikes your spine. Learn how to manage and prevent RA flare ups

Spondylolysis: What You Need to Know

Spondylolysis is a big word for a little fracture in your spine. Learn what spondylolysis is, how it happens, and how you can treat it.

Degenerative Disc Disease Symptoms, Causes, Treatments and More

Degenerative disc disease is a condition in which a damaged spinal disc causes pain. Learn about the disease here.

What Is Lordosis?

Swayback is often caused by lordosis; an abnormal inward curve of the lumbar spine.

Better Together: Spinal Cord Injury Support Groups

Spinal cord injury support groups can connect you to the SCI community and help you learn practical skills.

Infections of the Spine

Learn about the most common spinal infections, spinal infection symptoms and risk factors, and diagnosing and treating spinal infections.

Degenerative Disc Disease Prevention and Relief

Degenerative disc disease is one of the most common sources of back pain as you age, but it doesn’t have to be inevitable. Here are a few ways to slow down DDD and preserve your discs, no matter how old you are.

Two Scoliosis Surgery Options that Aren’t Fusion

Two procedures approved by the FDA in 2019 provide new options for people in need of surgery for scoliosis. Learn more about these minimally invasive, motion-sparing procedures from our expert.

Back Pain & Lyme Disease: Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention

Ticks can bring Lyme disease, which can cause back pain, among other symptoms. Learn how to recognize the signs of Lyme disease.

Video Series: Exercises for Cervical Spondylosis

Three video neck stretches and exercises to help relieve a stiff neck caused by spinal osteoarthritis also called cervical spondylosis.

Yoga Shown to Reverse Scoliosis

Loren Fishman, MD, describes a noninvasive method of treating even small scoliosis curves with yoga.

Sciatica Stories: Different People, Different Paths

Living with sciatica? Learn how 4 people reduced their pain from this condition

11 Things to Avoid if You Have Sciatica

Sometimes it’s just as important to know what NOT to do as it is to know what to do when you have sciatica.

Exercises and Stretches for Herniated Disc Pain

Check out some of the best stretches and exercises for relieving herniated disc symptoms.

Spine Tumor Surgery More Effective Than Ever

MSKCC saw a 20% improvement in spinal tumor surgery success rate in the last 20 years. Find out why.

References: New Technologies in Anterior Cervical Spine Fixation

Article References.

Is Back Pain Affecting Women’s Lifespans?

Women, especially after menopause, are more prone to back pain than men, but a 2021 study points out why that might be even more dangerous than previously suspected.

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.

Spondy-WHAT? Demystifying 3 Spine Conditions that Sound Alike

The similarities between spondylitis, spondylosis, and spondylolisthesis end with the first seven letters. Learn how to tell the difference.

Radiculopathy: What You Need to Know

Radiculopathy is pain, tingling, numbness or weakness down the length of a nerve, caused by a compressed nerve root in the spine.

Upper Back Pain Causes, Risk Factors, Diagnosis and Treatment

The SpineUniverse Universal Guide to Upper Back Pain: Everything you ever wanted to know about upper back pain, straight from the experts.

Sciatica Can’t Hold This Tenacious Athlete Back

Sciatica hasn’t stopped this endurance athlete, but it has forced her to modify her training and listen to her body. Learn how she does it.

Spinal Cord Injury Center

Spinal cord injury involves much more than damage to the spinal cord. After the primary injury, a cascade of secondary events can occur.

Yoga for Scoliosis: Reap the Benefits

A 2021 study of adolescents says that yoga can actually reverse scoliosis. Hear from the study's author.

3 Ways to Stop Diabetes Back Pain

Diabetes affects much more than blood sugar. Its many disease processes are a recipe for back pain.

Spina Bifida in Adults: Getting the Resources You Need

Why is it so hard for adults with spina bifida to get the help they need? Our experts explain, and discuss strategies for ongoing care.

4 Nerve Flossing Exercises for Sciatica

Nerve flossing might help your sciatica if traditional treatments don't. Find out how.

Do This to Avoid Compression Fractures in Your Spine

Vertebral compression fractures happen as people age thanks to lower bone density. Here's how to prevent them.

COVID-19 and Transverse Myelitis: In Her Words

Hear first-hand what it’s like to live with a rare spinal condition induced by COVID-19.

Fibromyalgia Causes

Researchers have not yet determined the exact cause of fibromyalgia, but this article summarizes current research on fibromyalgia causes.

Neck Pain Causes, Types, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment

You have to know what spinal condition is causing your neck pain before you can know how to treat it.

Kyphosis Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention

Kyphosis can refer to the normal curvature of the spine. However, this information is about abnormal kyphosis, which is spinal curvature causing a hunchback or slouching posture.

Spondylosis Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis and Treatment

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.

Spina Bifida: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment

Spina bifida is a neural tube defect resulting in mild to severe disabilities, depending on where the unprotected portion of the spinal cord is and how much is exposed. Here’s what you need to know.

Lower Back Pain Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment

Low and lower back pain can vary from dull pain that develops gradually to sudden, sharp or persistent pain felt below the waist.

Whiplash Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment

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.

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.

Ankylosing Spondylitis Center

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a form of inflammatory arthritis that affects the spine. In severe ankylosing spondylitis, the disease causes new bone formation causing bones in the spine to fuse together.

Osteoporosis Causes, Risk Factors, Complications, Diagnosis and Treatment

Osteoporosis, which means porous bone, is a serious disease that causes you to lose too much bone, make too little bone, or both.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Center

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can affect the spine; it's most common in the cervical spine. In the SpineUniverse Rheumatoid Arthritis Center, you'll learn the symptoms and signs so that you can recognize RA.

Fibromyalgia Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment

Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain disorder that affects millions of Americans each year—primarily women—and can be both physically and emotionally distressing.

The Dish on DISH: Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis

Learn about diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) and how to prevent it.

My Sciatica Story: Learning to Cope with Low Back Pain

Writer Rosemary Black reflects on living and dealing with sciatica and what she’s learned from chronic pain.

Herniated Disc Treatment

Learn about herniated disc treatment options, including both non-surgical and surgical treatments.

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Conditions