Thirty-one pairs of nerves exit the spinal cord through openings in the vertebral column. These are spinal nerves. There are four main areas of the vertebral spine: the cervical spine, or neck; the thoracic spine, or chest; the lumbar spine, or...
The cervical spine is the region of the vertebral column that supports the neck. Its name comes from the Latin word for neck, which is cervix. Dr. Peter F. Ullrich Jr. explains that eight nerves emerge from between the vertebrae of the neck,...
From giraffes to elephants, to mice to humans, all mammals have an average of 26 bony segments in their spines. The spinal cord leaves the brain and travels in the bone all the way down the low back. Between each vertebra there are discs for...
Shingles is a painful rash caused by the chickenpox virus, herpes zoster, also referred to as varicella-zoster. Twenty percent of people will develop this disease in their lifetime, though the current shingles vaccine may well alter that high...
The discs of the neck are the pads that separate the vertebrae. They act as little shock absorbers and allow movement between the bones. When a disc becomes damaged or weakened the jelly-like substance contained in the disc can bulge out or escape...
Shingles, also called herpes zoster, is a viral infection characterized by a painful red rash and blisters. According to the Mayo Clinic, the varicella-zoster virus, which causes chicken pox, also causes shingles.
Shingles is caused by the herpes zoster virus, the same virus that is responsible for chicken pox infection. Even though a chicken pox infection will resolve, the herpes zoster virus remains in a person’s nervous system for the rest of their...
A nerve in the neck becomes pinched when something invades the space normally occupied by the nerve. This may be a herniated disc, a bone spur, a tumor or swollen tissue from a traumatic injury. Just as there are a number of potential causes, the...
The spine is made up of bones called vertebra and soft spongy discs that separate the vertebra and aid in motion and shock absorption. The spinal cord is an extension of the brain and is housed by the spine. Branching off the spine at each...
According to "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine," shingles, also known as herpes zoster, the same virus that causes chickenpox, causes a vesicular rash on one side of the body, along a dermatome, which is a 3- to 5-inch strip of skin...
The spinal column is comprised of bones, called vertebrae, and soft spongy discs that separate the vertebrae. Housed within and protected by this spinal column is the spinal cord, a collection of nerve fibers that runs from the brain to the bottom...
Herpes zoster, also called shingles, is an infection caused by the virus varicella zoster--which also causes chicken pox. But in people who have already had the childhood breakout of pox, the varicella zoster virus can strike again with shingles....
When a herpes virus infects a human, the immune system recognizes the invader and sets out to destroy it. To evade the immune system, the virus "hides out" inside the nervous system, where it establishes "latency," or a period of inactivity. Of...
Tattoos are taboo to some, but seen as art by others. You may have a change of heart after getting a tattoo, especially when you are starting a new career, embarrassed by the tattoo or are the recipient of negative comments, according to the 2008...
Shingles is a blistering skin rash and can be very painful. Shingles, also called herpes zoster, is caused by the varicella virus, the same one that causes chicken pox. The virus becomes dormant in the nerve cells after an outbreak from chicken...
The skin is the largest organ of the human body, and plays a critical role in protecting underlying cells and tissues from physical damage and infection by pathogens. The risk of infection and trauma to the body caused by skin burns is...
The spinal cord is divided into four segments: cervical, thoracic, lumbar and sacral. Together, they make up a vital part of the body's central processing nervous system; injury to the spinal cord can be grave and sometimes fatal. The cervical...
Shingles is a rash caused by the varicella zoster virus, the same one that causes chickenpox. If you have had chickenpox, you are at risk for shingles. While you may remember suffering from chickenpox as a child and the horrbile itching it caused,...
Of the 25 or so known herpes strains, eight can infect human beings, according to the Merck Manuals. The most common of the diseases caused by a herpes infection in humans include chickenpox, genital herpes and oral herpes. In each of these...
Skin peels and dermabrasions, also sometimes called microdermabrasions, are two methods of improving the skin's smoothness, tone and appearance. They are done at the majority of medical spas in the country and are also popular in some dermatology...
Sciatica, the most common cause of radiating low back pain, occurs when the sciatic nerve running from your spine down your legs becomes irritated. The best therapy for sciatica often includes a focused exercise program that relieves your current...
Cuts, skin conditions and surgical procedures can all leave scars as the healing process completes. When scars develop from damage that occurs on the top skin layer, they are most often small and barely noticeable. However, when they develop from...
Many people suffer from painful medical conditions. According to MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, pain is a sensation that's triggered by a person's nervous system, and pain can...
Skin grafting is a surgical procedure in which a healthy layer of new skin or a skin substitute is placed over a burn or non-healing wound to permanently replace damaged or missing skin or to provide a temporary wound covering. This procedure...
Shingles is the common name for the disease that results from reactivation of the virus that causes chicken pox within spinal nerves called dorsal root ganglia. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that one million people in the...
A foot massage can be an incredibly relaxing way to end the day. You may not realize, though, that the foot has specific points that can not only reduce pain in your feet, but also potentially benefit the rest of your body as well. Reflexology has...
Shingles is a condition caused by the same virus responsible for chickenpox: varicella-zoster. Most people develop chickenpox as children. The varicella-zoster virus remains in your body and may not cause problems for many years, notes...
Degenerative disc disease occurs when there is damage to the cartilaginous discs that serve as shock absorbers between the spinal vertebrae. As the discs degenerate, the spaces between spinal bones become thinner and the vertebrae can erode. The...
Shingles is a disease primarily afflicting older individuals -- 60 and above -- who have had chicken pox as a child. In fact, the chicken pox virus is the cause of shingles, although symptoms of shingles differ from those of chicken pox. Emergence...
