Spinal disc problem is the real cause of back pain. The primary source of this pain is either the disc itself or the protruding nerve that irritates the nerve.
Now, if you differentiate between the two, then it can lead to a lot of confusion. This is the reason why the best spine doctor in Ludhiana uses a variety of names to describe the issues, including protruding disc, slipped disc, degenerative disc, or a pinched nerve.
Pinched Nerve
When a spinal disc leads to irritation, mechanical compression, or inflammation of a nearby nerve root, then it is not the disc that is causing distress. Rather it is the disc intrusion that is causing the nerve pain. Distress that you experience from the pinched nerve root in your lower back can emit along the nerve path into your foot and leg. You might also feel some neurological issues, including weakness, numbness, tingling, or sensation similar to pins and needles. Get a Lower Back Pain Treatment in Ludhiana and eliminate these issues.
The doctor medically termed the pinched nerve root issue radiculopathy. When you experience radiculopathy because of the compression or irritation of the specific nerve roots in the lower back, the doctor commonly describes it as sciatica.
Causes Of Pinched Nerve
These are the common causes of pinched nerve:
- Herniated discs
- Spinal stenosis
- Bone spurs that occur as a result of osteoarthritis.
Some less common reasons for pinched nerves include tumor, infection, and spondylolisthesis.
Degenerated Disc Pain
In case the origin of the back pain lies in the intervertebral disc, then the doctor will describe it as discogenic back pain. The reason for a spinal disc to degenerate is wear and tear or, in some cases, trauma.
The following mechanism then leads to pain:
- Inflammation
The body releases the inflammatory protein into the disc space as the disc degenerates. Apart from that, a degenerated disc also herniates, which leads the contents of the inner inflammatory to come out. These inflammatory agents then further inflame or irritate the nerves that are nearby, causing intense distress. As we have already established, a herniated disc can also be the leading cause of pinched nerve pain.
- Shrinkage
Dehydration within the disc is the primary issue that degeneration causes. This results in a loss of fluid content and ultimately shrinkage. The level of disc shrinkage can cause narrowing of the spinal canal, resulting in radiculopathy.
- Motion segment instability
Disc degeneration is also a leading factor of instability in the spinal segment. This makes it ineffective in resisting the motion in the spine.
As the body aims to counteract the inflammation, pain, and instability, the muscles in that particular spot may spasm. This automatically leads to disturbing and shooting pain which makes the situation of the back pain worse.
Focus On The Real Accuse Of Pain
By doing so, you will have the best chance of searching for the right treatment plan as opposed to only focusing on the relief of the symptoms.