Understanding Low Back Pain

Conditions of the Lumbar Spine

Discogenic Pain

Discogenic pain is pain caused by a damaged disc. While this pain can be felt directly in the lower back, it may also be felt outside of the area of the damaged disc, such as in the buttocks or upper thighs. Specific movements that put stress on this damaged disc can worsen the pain. The pain may radiate to different areas of the body via the irritated nerve roots.

Pinched Nerve

Also know as radiculopathy, or sciatica, a pinched nerve in the spine occurs when something rubs or presses on a nerve to cause irritation. This irritation can lead to numbness in a specific area of the body.

Sometimes it is difficult to identify the source of pain. For example, you may experience pain in your buttocks, leg or foot which is directly associated with an irritation in your lower back. This pinched nerve can cause weakness in muscles and loss of reflexes in the location of your pain.

Herniated discs and collapsed discs are the most common causes of a pinched nerve. Less common causes include bone spurs, fractures or tumors.

Bulging or Herniated Disc

Bulging Discs

• are somewhat common
• define a disc that is protruding outside of its normal center between vertebrae
• can occur in the aging process of an adult
• can occur with the degeneration of an intervertebral disc
• only become cause for alarm when it compresses a nerve root

If there are bone spurs present on the facet joints, narrowing can occur.

Herniated Disc

• occurs when the jelly-like center (nucleus) of the intervertebral disc ruptures and tears
• causes material to be pushed outside of the disc, causing pain

Pressure on the spinal cord and nerve roots cause pain, weakness, and/or numbness to certain areas of the body, similar to a pinched nerve.

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