subject: What Causes My Back Pain In New York, Ny [print this page] At times, we suffer from some sort of back pain. With severe back pain, we frequently worry about having a herniated disc. Your doctor may recommend an MRI.
What is a herniated disc?
Many patients with back pain, leg pain, or weakness of the lower extremity muscles are diagnosed with a herniated disc. When a herniated disc occurs, the cushion that sits between the spinal vertebra is pushed outside its normal position. As the spinal disc becomes less elastic, it can rupture. When the disc ruptures, a portion of the spinal disc pushes outside its normal boundary-this is called a herniated disc.
When a herniated disc bulges out from between the vertebrae, the spinal nerves and spinal cord can become pinched. There is normally a little extra space around the spinal cord and spinal nerves, but if enough of the herniated disc is pushed out of place, then these structures may be compressed.
If you have back pain and get an MRI chances are you'll find something. At New York Hospital Weill-Cornell, 90% of the MRIs of the low back are read as abnormal. But most back pain is diagnosed as idiopathic, or non-specific, referring to sprains and strains of soft tissue such as muscle.
Common Results from an MRI for your back pain
Interestingly, is it common that soft tissue problems are not seen on the MRI. As a result, we often assume incorrectly that what we see on the image is not muscle related. Common diagnoses for the cause of pain include:
o disc herniation
o bulging or degenerated discs
o spinal stenosis
o facet arthritis
o spondylolisthesis
Treating the causes of back pain and failed back surgery syndrome
When we treat these causes, we have many failures. What is even more surprising is that in some studies more than 50% of the back surgeries are unsuccessful, leading to an alarming new diagnosis, Failed Back Surgery Syndrome. This indicates that muscle pain is the cause of low back pain more frequently than it is diagnosed, and widespread mistreatment of back pain is cause for concern.
Some clinicians recognize that muscles could be a source of the back pain and have attempted to treat the muscle that they have identified by applying pressure, or palpation, to the suspected painful muscle. There are a variety of treatments offered for back pain in New York City. Contact them today for a consultation.
