- Anatomy of The Spine
- Back Pain in Children
- Caring for your Spine
- Emerging Spinecare Trends
- Evaluation of Spinal Disorders
- Exercise and The Spine
- Intervention - Spinal Disorders
- Intervertebral Disc
- Non Surgical Options
- Nutrition and Spinecare
- Options for Spine Treatments
- Pregnancy and Back Pain
- Prevalence of Spine Disorders
- Sleep and the Spine
- Spinecare Introduction
- Spinehealth and Disease
- Surgical Interventions
- Treatment with Medications
- Understanding Back Pain
Spinecare Topics
Intervertebral Disc
Inflammation and Disc Pain
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Inflammation and Disc Pain
Inflammation is a response to injury that is characterized by redness, pain, increased blood flow, swelling, mobilization of specialized cells and the release of chemicals. The inflammatory response is the body’s way to deal with infection or injury. The inflammatory process facilitates the release of chemicals that influence pain, kill bacteria and begin the tissue healing process. The inflammatory process can lead to pain and sometimes dysfunction of tissues. The presence of excessive inflammation for to long can result in the development of excessive scar tissue. Research has revealed that there are sensory nerve fibers in the outer portion of the disc in the low back of humans. The nerve penetration of a normal disc is only about 2 to 3.5 mm. The presence of certain chemicals and nerve fibers suggests that the disc can be a source of inflammation and pain.
Disorders of the intervertebral disc can cause inflammation through a variety of different mechanisms. A disc herniation can cause inflammation directly by physically compressing and damaging neighboring tissue or indirectly through the release of chemicals which induce inflammation and sensitize nerves. If a disc compresses a spinal nerve or other spinal tissues it will reduce blood flow in and out of the tissue causing inflammation.
A physical tear of the fibers which surround the intervertebral disc can lead to the leakage of chemicals from the intervertebral disc into the spinal canal (epidural space). This is the space which surrounds the spinal nerve and the spinal cord. Some of the chemicals which leak from a compromised disc may cause inflammation of surrounding tissues. This can cause local back pain and contribute to the development of extremity pain. Many of the pro-inflammatory chemicals arise from the center portion of the disc called the nucleus pulposis.
Chemicals that cause inflammation are often referred to as pro-inflammatory chemicals. Inflammatory chemicals associated with disc disease include bradykinin, histamine and prostaglandins. Other pro-inflammatory chemicals which may be released from a diseased disc include lactic acid, phospholipase A2 (PLA2), chondroitin sulfate, a component of glycosaminoglycans.
Pro-inflammatory chemicals are not only found in degenerative discs but may also arise from a spinal (facet) joint. A diseased joint at the same level of disc disease may contribute to the development of inflammation. These chemicals normally found in a healthy disc accumulate within the intervertebral disc secondary to age and disease related degenerative changes. For example a degenerative, herniated intervertebral disc contains a higher level of the chemical PLA2 than a normal disc. PLA 2 is a highly inflammatory chemical, which promotes the release and activation of other inflammatory chemicals such as prostaglandins and leukotrienes. If the outer fibers of a disc become torn, chemicals like PLA 2 inside the disc leak out into the spinal canal and cause inflammation of neighboring tissues.
Disorders of the intervertebral disc can cause inflammation through a variety of different mechanisms. A disc herniation can cause inflammation directly by physically compressing and damaging neighboring tissue or indirectly through the release of chemicals which induce inflammation and sensitize nerves. If a disc compresses a spinal nerve or other spinal tissues it will reduce blood flow in and out of the tissue causing inflammation.
A physical tear of the fibers which surround the intervertebral disc can lead to the leakage of chemicals from the intervertebral disc into the spinal canal (epidural space). This is the space which surrounds the spinal nerve and the spinal cord. Some of the chemicals which leak from a compromised disc may cause inflammation of surrounding tissues. This can cause local back pain and contribute to the development of extremity pain. Many of the pro-inflammatory chemicals arise from the center portion of the disc called the nucleus pulposis.
Chemicals that cause inflammation are often referred to as pro-inflammatory chemicals. Inflammatory chemicals associated with disc disease include bradykinin, histamine and prostaglandins. Other pro-inflammatory chemicals which may be released from a diseased disc include lactic acid, phospholipase A2 (PLA2), chondroitin sulfate, a component of glycosaminoglycans.
Pro-inflammatory chemicals are not only found in degenerative discs but may also arise from a spinal (facet) joint. A diseased joint at the same level of disc disease may contribute to the development of inflammation. These chemicals normally found in a healthy disc accumulate within the intervertebral disc secondary to age and disease related degenerative changes. For example a degenerative, herniated intervertebral disc contains a higher level of the chemical PLA2 than a normal disc. PLA 2 is a highly inflammatory chemical, which promotes the release and activation of other inflammatory chemicals such as prostaglandins and leukotrienes. If the outer fibers of a disc become torn, chemicals like PLA 2 inside the disc leak out into the spinal canal and cause inflammation of neighboring tissues.
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