Common diseases and conditions of the spine
that can cause chronic back pain

Bulging disc
Because discs act as shock absorbers to the vertebrae, they undergo tremendous stress.
Any traumatic pressure, from say a fall, work injury, or pregnancy, can cause a disc to bulge, tearing the connective tissue that holds it in place, causing inflammation and nerve pressure.

Degenerated disc
Disc degeneration is characterized by tears around the outer surface of the disc. It is caused by the drying out of the disc. Age, poor diet, smoking and injury can cause discs to dry, crack and tear, putting pressure on the surrounding nerves.

Herniated disc
When the hard, fibrous material of the disc wall bursts due to weakening of the outer fibers or traumatic pressure, the cushioning gel inside the disc or nucleus pulposus oozes out. When this gel protrudes into a nearby nerve channel, it can cause painful pressure on the spinal cord or nerve roots.

Disc degeneration with osteophyte formation
Disc degeneration also brings the vertebrae closer together which results in a gradual wearing of the bone. From this wear, arthritic spurs, or osteophytes, may form and press on nerve roots.

Facet syndrome
Facets are wing-shaped protrusions along each vertebrae that align with the facets on the vertebrae just above and just below. At the point where the two facets meet are small cartilage type surfaces that work as a cushioning tissue. But facets are not designed to bear weight as the vertebrae and discs are. Therefore, if discs thin, rupture or bulge and thereby lose height, the facets are brought close together and start to bear a portion of the body’s weight causing inflammation of the surrounding tissue and nerves as well as damaging the cartilage surfaces and irritating the pain sensitive nerves inside the joint.