Most people are unaware of the existence of cauda equina syndrome. However, this neurological condition is not taken lightly in the medical community. It is important to be able to recognize the signs and symptoms of this condition and respond...
The spine consists of bones, called vertebrae, and cushioning material between them, called discs. Cauda equina syndrome is a rare condition that typically results from the herniation, or displacement, of a disc that causes pressure on nerves...
The cauda equine, the collection of nerves where the spinal cord ends, is named for its resemblance to a horse's tail. According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, cauda equine syndrome (CES) is often misdiagnosed because the...
The cauda equine is a group of nerves at the end of the spinal cord; the group is named for its resemblance to a horse's tail. When the nerve roots are compressed, the result is cauda equine syndrome. Most cases of cauda equine occur after a...
Lumbar discs are plates of cartilage that separate the vertebrae of the lower back. When a lumbar disc ruptures, and its center, called the nucleus pulposus, herniates, it can bulge into the spinal canal. The spinal cord ends at the level of the...
That tender pain you feel on the ankle can be a sign of inflammation or a more serious medical disease. The pain may be dull, sharp or nondescript in nature. Sometimes ankle pain can be so excruciating that it can affect the ability to walk. There...
A pinched nerve is a serious problem that impacts the spine. In addition to pain and discomfort in the back, pain can be referred to other areas of the body due to the pressure on the nerves around the spine. Most often, this pain is referred down...
The spine is composed of small bones called vertebrae; between each vertebra is a "cushion" called a disc. With time, the jelly-like center of the disc may shift and leak out through a crack in the tougher, outer layer of the disc. This is called...
The ankle is a mobile joint that connects the bones of the leg and foot. It is composed of bones, ligaments, tendons and muscles, notes MayoClinic.com. Injury to either the bones, tendons or ligaments in the ankle results in pain. Sudden...
The spine consists of seven cervical vertebrae (neck), 12 thoracic vertebrae (upper back), five lumbar vertebrae (lower back) and the sacral region. Nerves from the spinal column consist of eight cervical, 12 thoracic, five lumbar and five sacral....
The spinal column is a series of 24 bones called vertebrae running from the neck to the pelvis. Seven cervical vertebrae support the neck, 12 thoracic vertebrae connect to the rib cage and five lumbar vertebrae support the lower back. The spinal...
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...
Sciatica -- or pain along your sciatic nerve -- is technically not a disorder but a symptom, resulting from the sciatic nerve being pinched or irritated. Causes include a herniated disk; spinal stenosis, or narrowing of the spine; injury; and...
Ankylosing spondylitis, AS, is a form of spinal arthritis. AS can cause the sacroiliac joint between the spine and hips to fuse. The ribs can also fuse in AS causing breathing difficulty. Although neurological symptoms are rare, notes the...
The Mayo Clinic states that spinal stenosis is a condition in which there is narrowing of one or more regions of the spine. This narrowing can cause pain in the back, hip, neck, shoulders or legs. In its most severe form, spinal stenosis can cause...
Sciatica consists of radiating pain that travels along the path of the sciatic nerve, according to MayoClinic.com. The sciatica nerve starts at the spinal cord and travels to the buttock area to the back of each leg. This condition occurs when a...
The spine is comprised of bones called vertebrae and soft spongy discs that separate the vertebrae. The disc is made up of two components; a tough fibrous outer layer of rings called the annulus and a jellylike center called the nucleus. When the...
The vertebrae in the spine serve to protect and support the spinal cord. These vertebrae are themselves cushioned and supported by cartilage-filled discs. Sometimes these discs can break, leading to a herniated or a ruptured disc. The symptoms of...
Spinal stenosis is a condition in which the spine becomes narrowed. It can occur in the center of the spine, in the areas where nerves branch off the spine, or between the vertebrae. Spinal stenosis typically occurs in people over the age of...
The sciatic nerve is a large nerve that originates from the lower spinal cord and runs down the back part of leg and into the sole of the foot. This nerve carries sensory information from these areas to the spinal cord, which then sends this...
A herniated disc is a condition in which a disc between the vertebrae in the spine ruptures and compresses a spinal nerve. It is also commonly referred to as a slipped or ruptured disc.This can cause pain, numbness and tingling in the back or...
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, back pain is the leading cause of job-related disability and loss of production in the United States. Each year, Americans spend $50 billion on back pain. Most back pain...
Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the joints between the vertebrae of the spine, for which there is no cure. Symptoms generally begin with minor back pain, but eventual fusion of the spinal bones can lead to...
Spondyloarthritis, also known as spondyloarthropathy, describes a group of chronic inflammatory disorders that primarily affect the joints of the spine and trunk of the body. Between 600,000 to 2.4 million people in the United States have...
When a disc in the lower spine becomes ruptured, serious health consequences can ensue. The center of the disc, called the nucleus pulposus, can bulge outward into the spinal canal, compressing the cauda equina, a collection of nerves that exits...
There are several serious complications that can be caused by intervertebral disc ruptures, or herniations. According to MedlinePlus, a herniated disc occurs when a portion of a spinal disc—the nucleus pulposus—is forced through the...
Spinal chord compression is when the vertebra that normally protects the spinal column puts pressure on the spine or spinal nerves. When this happens, the pain is intense and often debilitating. Spinal cord compression can happen suddenly from an...
According to the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, degenerative disc disease is a condition in which pain is caused by damaged intervertebral discs. Common symptoms associated with degenerative disc disease include spine pain that's worse when sitting,...
A herniated disc, or herniated nucleus pulposus, occurs when the shock absorbing disc between each of the spine bone ruptures or bulges. According to Spine Universe, people between the ages of 30 and 50 are at an increased risk of a herniated...
