Neurology Medicine

Back pain occurs and is maintained by a neurological mechanism:

1. Activate a specific nerve fibers, known as Ad and C, or “sensitive to capsaicin” or “nerve pain” -.
2. Their activation triggers cause inflammation and pain and muscle spasm.
3. It is a vicious circle of inflammation and muscle contracture remain activated pain nerves.
4. There are scientific studies showing that if the activation of Ad-C fibers lasts long enough, are triggered biochemical mechanisms that may perpetuate their activation indefinitely. In this situation, the pain persists even disappear because originally triggered it.

The neurological mechanism that causes pain, inflammation and muscle contracture:

It can be triggered by any structural damage. For example, when a herniated disk nerves are activated are pain in the outer layers of the disk to come into contact with substances that are inside. In this case, an MRI scan would see the break of the fibrous and clarify the cause of pain.

But can also be triggered without structural damage. For example, maintaining a poor posture can overload a muscle group and cause contracture and exciting the nerves that innervate pain. If the patient’s musculature is inadequate or asymmetric, the overhead can be sustained for long or repeated periodically. In this case, no radiographic examination would see the injury causing the pain.

They are accepted causes of back pain:

* The cracks, protrusions or herniated disks when they allow contact between the nucleus pulposus with pain nerves located in the fibrous
* The significant degeneration of the facet joint ..
* The muscle spasms triggered by postural overload, stress or changes in the shape of the spine. In the latter case is included scoliosis over 60 degrees.
* The compression of a nerve root, for example by a herniated disk, spinal stenosis or spondylolisthesis grade III or IV.

Alterations in the structure of the spine

These are changes that can be detected by conventional radiology, computed tomography (CT or scanner) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Formerly it was believed that his existence always caused pain and, conversely, the pain was almost always due to the existence of any of them. I really do not. Even when a patient with back pain have any of these changes, we must demonstrate that it really is the real cause of the pain before considering surgery to correct it. Many are incidental findings and the individuals who have back pain may have other reasons….

Lumbosacral transitional anomalies

* Scoliosis
* Hyperkyphosis
* Hyperlordosis
* Corrections
* Spondylolysis
* Spondylolisthesis
* Spinal Osteoarthritis
* Facet Osteoarthritis
* Spinal stenosis
* Fissure, protrusion and disc herniation
* Post-surgical fibrosis
* Dislocation of the coccyx
* Axoidea atlantoaxial dislocation
* Sprains
* Whiplash

Source: www.espalda.org/divulgativa/dolor/index.asp
image source: www.wholehealthamerica.com/drkazandjian/back-pain-921.jpg