Someone with spinal stenosis may feel relatively comfortable while sitting, only to notice lower back pain, aching legs, heaviness, numbness, or weakness after walking for several minutes. For some people, simply standing in one place can bring on the same symptoms. This pattern is especially common with lumbar spinal stenosis, which occurs when spaces in […]
Back pain does not always come from a disc, muscle, or pinched nerve. Sometimes, the source is one of the small joints that help connect and stabilize the bones of the spine. These are called facet joints. Like other joints in the body, facet joints can become irritated, inflamed, or affected by arthritis. When this […]
Arthritis pain and nerve pain can sometimes be difficult to tell apart. Both can cause persistent discomfort, limit movement, and affect the same general area of the body. A person with knee arthritis, for example, may also experience nerve related symptoms in the leg. The main difference is where the pain comes from. Arthritis pain […]
Yes, a herniated disc can often improve without surgery. In some cases, the displaced disc material actually becomes smaller over time as the body gradually breaks it down and absorbs it. Research has found that spontaneous resorption is common in lumbar disc herniations treated conservatively, although the likelihood varies depending on the type of herniation. […]
Burning feet at night can be strange and frustrating. Your feet may feel hot, prickly, electric, or painfully sensitive even though the skin itself does not feel unusually warm. One common reason is peripheral nerve irritation or damage. Peripheral neuropathy often begins in the feet and can cause burning, tingling, numbness, weakness, or pain. These […]
Bulging discs and herniated discs are easy to confuse. The terms are often used when discussing back or neck pain, and both describe changes to the discs that sit between the bones of your spine. But they are not the same thing. A bulging disc generally involves a broader portion of the disc extending beyond […]
Your back may hurt when you cough or sneeze because these sudden movements briefly increase pressure through your abdomen and spine while causing the muscles around your back to contract quickly. If a muscle, spinal disc, joint, or nerve is already irritated, that sudden force can make the pain more noticeable. Sometimes the cause is […]
Spinal cord stimulation may be considered for people with failed back surgery syndrome when chronic nerve-related pain continues after spine surgery and other treatments have not provided enough relief. Back surgery can successfully correct a structural problem and still leave some patients with ongoing pain. That pain may include persistent lower back pain, radiating leg […]
You may be a candidate for radiofrequency ablation if you have persistent pain linked to specific pain-transmitting nerves and your doctor can identify an appropriate target for treatment. For certain types of spine-related pain, particularly facet joint pain, your response to a diagnostic nerve block can also help determine whether radiofrequency ablation, or RFA, may […]
Burning, tingling, numbness, or weakness in the hands and feet can be difficult to ignore. These symptoms may come and go at first, or they may gradually become more noticeable and begin affecting sleep, balance, movement, or everyday tasks. In some cases, these sensations develop when nerves outside the brain and spinal cord become damaged. […]
