Conditions contributing to low back pain

Painful conditions of the spine may be difficult to understand because often the pain is felt elsewhere, such as in your legs or buttocks. This pain is caused by pressure placed upon the nerves that pass through your spine and extend through the rest of your body.


We’ve seen how the healthy spine works to protect its own structure, including the spinal cord and the nerves that pass through it. We’ll now focus on some conditions that can compromise the normal structure of the spine resulting in nerve compression and pain:

-Degenerative Disc Disease
-Spondylolisthesis
-Stenosis







Reference: www.brain-spine.com.hk/
It is not intended as medical advice to any specific person. If you have any need for personal advice or have any questions regarding your health, please consult your orthopedic doctors for diagnosis and treatment.

Conditions contributing to low back pain

Painful conditions of the spine may be difficult to understand because often the pain is felt elsewhere, such as in your legs or buttocks. This pain is caused by pressure placed upon the nerves that pass through your spine and extend through the rest of your body.


We’ve seen how the healthy spine works to protect its own structure, including the spinal cord and the nerves that pass through it. We’ll now focus on some conditions that can compromise the normal structure of the spine resulting in nerve compression and pain:

-Degenerative Disc Disease
-Spondylolisthesis
-Stenosis







Reference: www.brain-spine.com.hk/
It is not intended as medical advice to any specific person. If you have any need for personal advice or have any questions regarding your health, please consult your orthopedic doctors for diagnosis and treatment.

Conditions contributing to low back pain

Painful conditions of the spine may be difficult to understand because often the pain is felt elsewhere, such as in your legs or buttocks. This pain is caused by pressure placed upon the nerves that pass through your spine and extend through the rest of your body.


We’ve seen how the healthy spine works to protect its own structure, including the spinal cord and the nerves that pass through it. We’ll now focus on some conditions that can compromise the normal structure of the spine resulting in nerve compression and pain:

-Degenerative Disc Disease
-Spondylolisthesis
-Stenosis







Reference: www.brain-spine.com.hk/
It is not intended as medical advice to any specific person. If you have any need for personal advice or have any questions regarding your health, please consult your orthopedic doctors for diagnosis and treatment.

Conditions contributing to low back pain

Painful conditions of the spine may be difficult to understand because often the pain is felt elsewhere, such as in your legs or buttocks. This pain is caused by pressure placed upon the nerves that pass through your spine and extend through the rest of your body.


We’ve seen how the healthy spine works to protect its own structure, including the spinal cord and the nerves that pass through it. We’ll now focus on some conditions that can compromise the normal structure of the spine resulting in nerve compression and pain:

-Degenerative Disc Disease
-Spondylolisthesis
-Stenosis








It is not intended as medical advice to any specific person. If you have any need for personal advice or have any questions regarding your health, please consult your orthopedic doctors for diagnosis and treatment.

How Can I Prevent Back Pain During My Pregnancy?

To optimize your chances of keeping back pain at bay, there are a variety of preventive measures you can take:

·         First, maintain a reasonable activity level and — under your doctor's supervision — incorporate exercises that gently stretch and strengthen your back and abdominal muscles. "Keep moving!" advises Dr. Peters. "The ability and motivation to remain active is very important during this time."

·         If you spend your days behind a desk, take advantage of opportunities to get up and stretch your legs — and back — while getting your work done.

·         Maintaining good posture as your body changes is also important. As your center of gravity shifts forward, minimize the strain on your lower back by standing as straight as possible, keeping your shoulders back and your buttocks tucked under. When sitting, keep your feet slightly elevated, if possible. Choose a chair that supports your back — use a small pillow if necessary — and change positions frequently.

·         Be mindful of body mechanics. If you need to pick something up, don't bend over and lift using your back. Instead, squat using your knees, keeping your back straight as you lift. Avoid positions that require bending or twisting. Listen to your body — if something hurts, don't do it!

·         Don't be a slave to fashion. If you're hooked on high-heeled shoes, kick the addiction — at least for a few months. Cute "sensible shoes" do exist — just look for low heels and good arch support. Your clothing can also be back-friendly — look for maternity pants with a low, supportive waistband. Later in your pregnancy, you may want to use a support belt under your lower abdomen.

·         It may seem like the impossible dream at this point in your life, but do try to get a sufficient amount of sleep. Practice relaxation techniques, and keep stress to a minimum. Sleep on your side rather than your back, keeping your knees bent. Place pillows around your abdomen for support, if needed.

Reference: www.back.com., www.ispine.com.hk

The information provided aims to provide educational purpose, if you have the described conditions as above, please consult your neurosurgeon.

Nerve Structure - Topography

There are 31 pairs of spinal nerves:        8 Cervical

12 Thoracic

5 Lumbar

5 Sacral

1 Coccygeal

Because of the large number of nerve roots needed to control the upper and lower extrem-ities, the spinal canal in the cervical and lumbar regions is larger than in the thoracic region.

Although there are seven cervical vertebrae, there are actually eight cervical nerve roots. The first cervical nerve root exits between the skull (C0) and C1. the 8th cervical nerve root exits at the same level as the corresponding vertebrae. For example, the L1 nerve root exits between L1 and L2.

The nerve roots branch off the spinal cord higher than their actual exit through the inter-vertebral foramen. This means that the spinal nerves must often pass downwards adjacent to the spinal cord before exiting through the intervertebral forament. This leaves the nerves exposed to risk of compression by protruding disc material. Therefore, it is possible to have a compression of the L5 nerve root at the L4-L5 disc space.

Reference: www.iscoliosis.com, www.brainspine.com.hk

The information provided aims to provide educational purpose, if you have the described conditions as above, please consult your neurosurgeon.

What is neurosurgery? And what is the neurosurgeon do?

Neurosurgery is a specialty of surgery which provides the critical care, prevention, diagnosis, evaluation, treatment, and rehabilitation of neurological disorders. This includes the central, peripheral, and autonomic nervous systems, including their supporting structures and vascular supply; the evaluation and treatment of pathological processes which modify the function or activity of the nervous system, including the hypophysis and the operation and non-operative treatment of pain. As such, neurosurgery encompasses treatment of adult and pediatric patients with disorders of the nervous system: disorders of the brain, meninges, and the skull, and their blood supply, including the extracranial carotid and vertebral arteries; disorders of the pituitary gland, disorders of the spinal cord, meninges, and vertebral column, including those which may require treatment by spinal fusion or instrumentation; and disorders of the cranial and spinal nerves throughout their distribution.

What is neurosurgeon?

Neurosurgeon is a surgical doctor specialized in neurological disorders.

Central Nervous System (CNS) disorders - Stroke, Parkinsonism disease, Dementia, Brain tumors, Acoustic neuroma, Arteriole-venous malformation (AVM), etc...

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) disorders – like Back pain, Scoliosis, Sciatica, Low back pain, Neck pain, Neuropathic pain, etc…  .

Reference information: www.brain-spine.com.hk, http://www.surgery.cuhk.edu.hk/neuro/default.htm

The information above is used for educational purpose only, for any enquiries, please consult your neurosurgeon for medical advices.