Massage Chair, Inc. - 11/10/2016
Common Back ailments - In alphabetical order.
Our massage chairs are an excellent form of physical therapy and non-pharmaceutical pain relief.
If you're reading this article, chances are you, or someone you care about is experiencing back pain, and are seeking relief. If that's the case, the following may help you identify cause of your back pain.
Arthritis and Osteoarthritis
Spinal arthritis, which is also called degenerative joint disease, is the breakdown of the cartilage between the facet joints in the spine, leading to low back pain.
The facet joints are the joints in your spine that make your back flexible and enable you to bend and twist.
Nerves exit your spinal cord through these joints on their way to other parts of your body. Healthy facet joints have cartilage, which allows your vertebrae to move smoothly against each other without grinding.
Back Pain in Children
Kids and teens may experience back pain too, stemming from something simple like aggressive play, a heavyl back pack, or it could be something more serious such as an infection, or even a tumor.
Degenerative Disc Disease
Most patients with degenerative disc disease, if diagnosed early may not experience pain for years, and may be able to delay the onset of back pain, with the proper physical therapy.
will experience low-level but continuous back pain that will occasionally intensify and can become severe.
Physical therapy is imperative to naturally lessen or ward off subsequent back pain.
Depression
Chronic back pain or neck pain can lead to feelings of despair, hopelessness, and other symptoms of depression.
Depression can develop due to interrupted sleep patterns, leading to fatigue and irritability. Having difficulty with movement, they often move cautiously, and often spend most of their time at home, away from others, leading to social isolation and a lack of enjoyable activities. Sexual activity can often be the last thing on the person’s mind, which can lead to more stress in their personal relationship.
The ability to work can be impaired, which can lead to financial difficulties that can impact the entire family.The pain can also be distracting, and can lead to memory and concentration difficulties.
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia (FM) affects over 7 million people in the USA, FM is a chronic musculoskeletal pain syndrome, which can first show up as pain and around the joints in their neck, shoulders, back, and hips, and can progress into widespread pain over the entire body. FM patients can also suffer from tension headaches, fatigue, stiffness and sleep disorders. There are documented cases that are so severe, that the individuals spend entire days in bed.
Lyme's disease should be ruled out as part of the Fibromyalgia diagnosis, as the symptoms are quite similar.
Herniated Disc
A herniated disc can occur when the disc is subjected to too much strain, usually by lifting injuries, although disc degeneration can play a role too.
The inner gel of the disc leaks out, and applies pressure to the nerve, leading to back, leg, or arm pain.
Leg Pain
When the nerves exiting the spine in the lower back are pinched, the pain may extend down the leg.
A pinched nerve can also cause tingling, numbness, or weakness.
Neck Pain
Neck pain can be caused by muscle strain or whiplash, but also can be caused by spinal stenosis, a herniated disc, osteoarthritis, degenerative disc disease, or other medical conditions.
Osteoporosis and Spinal Fractures
Fractures in the spine can medically be caused by osteoporosis, which is a condition in which bones lose structural integrity and become brittle.
This is often caused by loss of calcium, or can be a side effect of the severe overuse of steroidal medications.
Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction
The joint between the base of the spine and the hip does not normally have much movement, but any change in the joint may cause lower back pain and/or leg pain.
Sciatica
The sciatic nerve exits the lower spine, and carries information between the brain and the legs.
When a lower back problem causes sciatic nerve compression, pain can radiate down the leg and even into the foot.
More about sciatica in the following section.
Scoliosis
Scoliosis is an abnormal side-to-side curvature of the spine, and develops mostly in adolescents, but can also be caused by aging and arthritis.
Spinal Stenosis
Spinal stenosis is when a part or parts of the spine narrows, which can lead to the compression of a spinal nerve or the spinal cord in the neck.
Spondylolisthesis
Spondylolisthesis occurs when one vertebra in the spine slips forward over the one below it, which will cause lower back pain and/or leg pain. It commonly occurs in the lower spine.
Upper Back Pain
Pain from the thoracic region of the spine, is less common than from the cervical or lumbar spinal regions.
Muscle issues and pinched nerves are the most common problems in the upper back.