Stages of Back and Neck Pain
When you look at the health of a patient’s back and neck and the many causes of pain associated with those areas, you must take into consideration several variables:
The back and neck area is made up of your bony spine and pelvis (hips), joints (areas of motion/soft pads-discs), muscles, ligaments (strap of tissue that hold bone to bone) and nerves. When the spine hurts, it’s usually a combination of some or all of the above mentioned parts. One major trauma or many minor traumas over time can cause back and neck injury. Other conditions such as a spinal imbalance, a rotated pelvis, a short leg, or an increased or decreased curve in the spine may make one’s back more vulnerable to irritation and injury. When an injury takes place, there is usually an associated muscle spasm and swelling (inflammation) of the discs or nerves. In general, muscles can cause dull aches. Nerves can cause sharp pains.
