Spinal Anatomy

Understanding spinal anatomy is essential to appreciating the reasons behind your pain.  Back pain and neck pain can result from a variety of causes.  Arthritic changes (spondylosis) in the intervertebral disc and facet joints can produce chronic, fluctuating back and neck pain.  Arthritic bone spurs can cause nerve or spinal cord compression (stenosis).  Bulging discs result from degenerative disc disease.  Disc herniations can produce severe back and neck pain as well as leg (sciatica) or arm (cervical radiculopathy) pain.

In the neck C5/C6 and C6/C7 disc herniations are most common; in the lumbar spine, L5/S1 and L4/L5 disc herniations are most common. While more rare, thoracic disc herniations can also cause pain or neurologic deficits.  Please use the information below as a reference.