Ablation
Removal of a part of biological tissue, usually by heat/cold
Allodynia
Pain resulting from a stimulus such as a light touch of the skin which would not normally provoke pain; pain due to touching the joints and movement of joints
Ankylosing Spondylitis
A chronic, inflammatory arthritis and autoimmune disease. It mainly affects joints in the spine and the sacroilium in the pelvis, and can cause eventual fusion of the spine.
Annulus (disc annulus)
The outer wall of the invertebral disc
Arachnoiditis
Scarring or adherence of the nerve roots to each other in cauda equina
Arthritis
A group of conditions involving damage to the joints of the body
Avascular Necrosis (Osteonecrosis)
A disease where there is cellular death (necrosis) of bone components due to interruption of the blood supply.
Bursitis
The inflammation of one or more bursae (small sacs) of synovial fluid in the body.
Cervical nerve
The spinal nerves from the cervical vertebrae
Cervicalgia
Neck Pain
Chiari Malformation
A neurological disorder where the cerebellum, descends out of the skull and crowds the spinal cord which puts pressure on both the brain and spine. Conquer Chiari
Coccydynia
Pain in the coccyx or tailbone area, usually brought on by sitting.
Compression Fracture
Collapse of a vertebra, caused by trauma or weakened vertebra
Costochondral Junction Syndrome (also known as Tietze’s Disease)
A rare, inflammatory disorder characterized by chest pain and swelling of the cartilage of one or more of the upper ribs (costochondral junction).
CRPS (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome)
Chronic disease characterized by severe pain, swelling, and changes in the color and temperature of skin
Deconditioning Syndrome
Progressive worsening of a patient’s general fitness due to lack of activity associated with pain
Degenerative Disc Disease
Degeneration of the intervertebral disc
Discitis
An inflammation in the intervertebral disc space
Discogenic Back Pain
Pain felt in the back that originates from the disc
DJD (Degenerative Joint Disease)
Mechanical abnormalities involving degradation of joints including cartilage and bone
Drop Foot (Foot Drop)
Neuromuscular abnormality that impacts the patient's ability to raise their foot at the ankle.
Dystonia
Abnormal tone of any tissue
Fibromyalgia
A medical disorder characterized by chronic widespread pain and a heightened and painful response to pressure.National Fibromyalgia Association
Herniated Disc
Condition in which disc tissue passes through the outer wall of the annulus; may result in nerve root compression
Hyperalgesia
Unusual or pathological sensitivity of the skin or of a particular sense to stimulation
Hyperesthesia
Abnormal increase in sensitivity to stimuli of the senses
Hypoalgesia
Decreased sensitivity to pain
Hypoesthesia
Decreased tactile sensibility
Hypofunction
Decrease in functioning
Ipsilateral
Situated or appearing on or affecting the same side of the body
Kinesiophobia
Fear of movement
Kyphosis
Also called hunchback, is a common condition of a curvature of the upper spine
Laminectomy
A spine operation to remove the portion of the vertebral bone called the lamina
Lordosis
An inward curvature of a portion of the lumbar column.
Lumbago
Low back pain is one of the most commonly seen clinicalentities, both in primary care and pain clinic arena.Back pain generally is subdivided into axial (nonradiating) and radicular (radiating) pain. An additional subdivision is whether [...]
Lumbosacral joint
A joint of the body, between the last lumbar vertebra and the first sacral segment of the spinal cord
Meralgia Paresthetica
Numbness or pain in the outer thigh not caused by injury to the thigh, but by injury to a nerve that extends from the thigh to the spinal column.
Myalgia
"Muscle pain" and is a symptom of many diseases and disorders
Myositis
Inflammation of the muscles
Neuralgia
Pain that follows the path of a nerve
Neuritis
Inflammation of a nerve or the general inflammation of the peripheral nervous system
Neuroablation
Procedure designed to destroy nerve endings responsible for the sensation of pain with the use of cold or heat.
Neuropathic Pain
Nerve pain characterized by sharp, stabbing, burning pain which is caused by damage to or dysfunction of the peripheral or central nervous system
Nociceptive
The activity produced in the peripheral and central nervous system by stimuli that have the potential to damage tissue
Nociceptors
A sensory receptor that reacts to potentially damaging stimuli by sending nerve signals to the spinal cord and brain
Occipital Headaches
Occurs in the back of the head at the base of the skull. Referred to headache with neck pain.
Osteoarthritis
Also known as degenerative arthritis or degenerative joint disease is a group of diseases and mechanical abnormalities involving degradation of joints
Osteomyelitis
An infection of the bone or bone marrow
Osteoporosis
A disease that causes a loss of calcium that leads to an increased risk of fracture National Osteoporosis Foundation
Pain
A sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage
Paralysis
The complete loss of muscle function for one or more muscle groups. Paralysis can cause loss of feeling or loss of mobility in the affected area
Pathophysiology
The functional changes that accompany a particular syndrome or disease
Peripheral Nerves
Nerves outside the brain and spinal cord
Phantom Limb (Syndrome)
The sensation that an amputated or missing limb (even an organ, like the appendix) is still attached to the body and is moving appropriately with other body parts.
Piriformis Syndrome
A neuromuscular disorder that occurs when the sciatic nerve is compressed or otherwise irritated by the piriformis muscle causing pain, tingling and numbness in the buttocks and along the path of the sciatic nerve descending [...]
Radiculitis
Pain "radiated" along the dermatome (sensory distribution) of a nerve due to inflammation or other irritation of the nerve root (radiculopathy) at its connection to the spinal column.
Radiculopathy (Pinched Nerve)
One or more nerves are affected and do not work properly (a neuropathy). The nerve(s) may be inflamed, pinched (compressed), or working ineffectively due to a lack of blood flow.
Rheumatism
A non-specific term for medical problems affecting the joints and connective tissue
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Chronic disease occurring because the body's immune system isn’t functioning properly. The immune system fights infections and in people with RA, the immune system also attacks the body. RA is also called an autoimmune disease.Rheumatoid [...]
Rhizotomy
A neurosurgical procedure that selectively coagulates or transects problematic nerve roots in the spinal cord
Sciatica
Pain is felt in the lower back, buttock, and/or various parts of the leg and foot caused by general compression and/or irritation of one of five spinal nerve roots that give rise to each sciatic [...]
Scoliosis
A medical condition in which a person's spine is curved from side to side
Sickle Cell Disease (SCD)
An autosomal co-dominant genetic blood disorder characterized by red blood cells that assume an abnormal, rigid, sickle shape
Somatic Pain
A type of nociceptive pain in which the nerves that detect somatic pain are located in the skin and deep tissues. These specialized nerves, called nociceptors, pick up sensations related to temperature, vibration and swelling [...]
Spinal Cord Injury
Cause myelopathy or damage to nerve roots or myelinated fiber tracts that carry signals to and from the brain
Spinal Cord Simulation
Exerting pulsed electrical signals to the spinal cord to control chronic pain. Spinal cord stimulation (SCS), in the simplest form, consists of stimulating electrodes implanted in the epidural space, an electrical pulse generator implanted in [...]
Spinal Fractures
A fracture affecting the bones of the spinal column
Spinal Stenosis
A medical condition in which the spinal canal narrows and compresses the spinal cord and nerves
Spinal stenosis of cervical region
Narrowing of cervical spinal canal
Spondylolisthesis
A condition in which a bone (vertebra) in the lower part of the spine slips out of the proper position onto the bone below it
Spondylolysis
Defect in the connection between vertebrae that can lead to small stress fractures (breaks) in the vertebrae
Spondylosis
A condition related to degeneration of bone that ultimately results in narrowing.
Sports Injuries
Injuries that occur to athletes participating in sporting events. In many cases, these types of injuries are due to overuse of a part of the body when participating in a certain activity
Sprains
An injury to ligaments that is caused by being stretched beyond their normal capacity
Stellate Ganglion
A sympathetic ganglion formed by the fusion of the inferior cervical ganglion and the first thoracic ganglion
Strains
An injury to a muscle or tendon in which the muscle fibers tear as a result of overstretching
Suboccipital Nerve
The first spinal nerve, exits the spinal cord between the skull and the first cervical vertebra.
Sudomotor
Relating to the nerves that stimulate the sweat glands to activity
Sympathetic Nerves
Part of the autonomic nervous system and located on the front surface of the spinal column.
Synovial Cyst
A ganglion (tissue mass) of the adjacent joint, caused by leakage of fluid from the joint into the surrounding tissue
Syringomyelia
A disorder in which a cyst or cavity forms within the spinal cord. This cyst, called a syrinx, can expand and elongate over time, destroying the spinal cord
Tenosynovitis
Inflammation of the lining of the sheath that surrounds a tendon (the cord that joins muscle to bone).
Thoracic Nerve
The spinal nerves emerging from the thoracic vertebrae
Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
A rare condition that involves pain in the neck and shoulder, numbness and tingling of the fingers, and a weak grip. The thoracic outlet is the area between the rib cage and collar bone.
Tietze’s Disease
A rare, inflammatory disorder characterized by chest pain and swelling of the cartilage of one or more of the upper ribs (costochondral junction).
Trigeminal Neuralgia
A neuropathic disorder of one or both of the trigeminal nerves. It causes episodes of intense pain in any or all of the following: the ear, eye, lips, nose, scalp, forehead, teeth, or jaw on [...]
Vasodilation
Dilation of the blood vessels
Vasomotor
Relating to those nerves or the nerve centers that supply the muscle fibers of the walls of blood vessels
Wedge Fractures
A wedge fracture is an angled vertebral compression fracture.
Whiplash
Represents a range of injuries to the neck caused by or related to a sudden distortion of the neck associated with extension and flexion.