The spine is an important organ in the individual’s life since it acts as the body support structure helping the person to sit, stand, walk, and bend. Like other organs, it is likely to suffer from various health conditions. Since these conditions are excruciating and interfere with individuals’ lives, they prompt them to seek treatment. Even though there are multiple treatments, most people choose Progressive Spine & Sports Medicine due to their experience. The following are the common spine conditions that can be treated at this facility.
Herniated Disc
Since the spine has various bones known as vertebrae, discs act as the cushion between the following bones. When the individual’s disc is herniated, the cushioning is shifted, making it burst out of its casing. Even though the herniated discs do not have symptoms, they can interfere with the nerves in your spine. The person would start having numbness, tingling, and muscle weakness. If you have these symptoms, you should visit a specialist.
Scoliosis
The person having this condition will have abnormal spinal bending or curvature. The following condition can vary from severe to mild and is common in childhood and adolescence. If you have this condition, you will experience symptoms such as uneven shoulders, varying heights of rib cages, and a head not centered above the pelvis. These symptoms can also cause back pain and pinched nerves. The doctor will treat scoliosis according to the severity of the condition and the patient’s age.
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis refers to weakened bones caused by bone mass. When the person has this condition, the bones in the spine become more brittle and damaged. This condition increases the risk of fractures, hunched posture, and collapsed vertebrae. It is hard for an individual to note the bones are weakening since the person will not have any symptoms until the bones are osteoporotic.
This condition is common among the elderly since the bones weaken with age.
Sciatica
The sciatic nerves run from the individual’s nerve to the leg. When you have sciatica, you will likely feel pain, weakness, or numbness in the lower back. This pain will radiate down to the leg resulting from the sciatic nerve damage. In most instances, this nerve damage is caused by a narrowing spine that compresses the herniated disc, nerve, and bone spur. The person can treat this condition through steroid injections and physical therapy. The specialist can also prescribe muscle relaxants, pain relievers, and other anti-inflammatories.
Compression Fracture
As people age, they will likely experience bone weakening, hairline fractures, and different cracks in the vertebrae. If the person has spinal cracks, they could have a compression fracture called collapsed vertebra. In most instances, the person has this condition due to osteoporosis. Moreover, you are likely to have it if you regularly smoke, have bone cancer, or are a woman over fifty years old. Since the condition can be painful, the specialist can recommend pain medication or physical therapy.
In recent years there has been an increase in spine-related conditions. However, the main problem is the following conditions are hard to diagnose since they do not have symptoms at the early stages. You should regularly go for spine checkups to prevent this condition from worsening. Moreover, you should also understand the signs that could show you are suffering from spine conditions. If you experience these conditions, you should seek treatment promptly in a verified institution before it worsens. This move will also save the treatment cost since the situation will be easy to treat.
