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Glossary of Terms
Acute Back Pain: Acute
low back pain generally lasts less than six months. A few
cases may resolve without medical attention, although many
reoccur.
Chronic Back Pain: Chronic low back pain generally persists beyond
six months. If you are experiencing chronic back pain, you
should seek medical attention. To get more information about
IDD Therapy®, please complete this form.
Coccyx: Also known
as the "tailbone". The coccyx are two to four tiny, partially
fused vertebrae at the end of the sacrum.
Degenerative Disc Disease: Degeneration of the disc over time produces low-grade
inflammation and irritation and is a major cause of chronic
low back pain. Because the discs in the spine do not have
a dedicated blood supply, the discs must rely on a process
called diffusion to receive their supply of water, nutrients,
and oxygen. If the flow of these elements is disrupted, the
vertebrael discs can degenerate.
Herniated Disc: A
condition in which part or all of the soft, gelatinous central
portion of an intervertebral disc is forced through a weakened
part of the disc, resulting in back pain and nerve root irritation.
IDD: Interferential Differential Dynamics
Lumbar: The lumbar
(L) section of the spine consists of five large bones and intervertebrael
discs that support most of the body's weight and absorb large
amounts of stress.
Posterior Facet Syndrome: The facet joints can wear down. In such cases,
a nerve can become pinched (impinged) and cause pain.
Processes: Each
vertebra in the spine has a number of bony projections, known
as processes. The spinal and transverse processes attach to the
muscles in the back and act like little levers, allowing the
spine to twist or bend. The particular processes form the joints
between the vertebrae themselves, meeting together and interlocking
at the facet joints.
Sacrum: The sacrum
is below the lumbar region and is a shield-shaped bony structure
that connects with the pelvis at the sacroiliac joints.
Sciatica: Sciatica
refers to a pain felt along the length of the sciatic nerve.
The pain is usually felt in the buttock where it radiates down
the back of the leg. At some time, up to 40% of people experience
pain caused by compression of this nerve.
Spine: The spine
is a column of small bones, or vertebrae, that provides support
and leverage to the entire body.
Spinal Canal: Each
vertebra and its processes surround and protect an arch-shaped
central opening. These arches, aligned to run down the spine,
form the spinal canal, which encloses the spinal cord.
Spinal Cord: The
spinal cord is the central trunk of nerves that connects the
brain with the rest of the body. Each nerve root passes from
the spinal column to other parts of the body through small openings
bounded on one side by the disc and the other by the facets.
When the spinal cord reaches the lumbar region, it splits into
four bundled strands of nerve roots called the cauda equina (meaning
horsetail in Latin).
Vertebrae: Vertebrae
in the spinal column are separated from each other by small cushions
of cartilage known as intervertebral discs. Inside each disc
is a jelly-like substance called the nucleus pulposus, which
is surrounded by a fibrous structure called the annulus. The
disc is 80% water, which makes it very elastic. It has no blood
supply of its own, however, but relies on nearby blood vessels
to keep it nourished.
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