- 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
Spine - Health and Disease
Spinal Dysfunction
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Spinal Dysfunction
Functional Radiography and Spinal Dysfunction
Many researchers in the medical and chiropractic fields have addressed the issue of functional X-ray assessment. This refers to taking X-rays of the spine in different positions to evaluate the movement patterns of individual spinal segments. Deceased spinal segment movement (segmental hypomobility), increased spinal joint movement (segmental hypermobility), and excessive spinal segment movement (spinal instability), can be documented by positional x-rays. Functional radiography of an individual’s spine is beneficial for documenting spinal instability and the need for fusion.
Spinal Hypermobility Versus Instability
Segmental (spinal) hypermobility is defined as a spinal motion segment with excessive movement which may be associated with pain but is not so extreme to be life threatening of to require surgical stabilization. The term clinical instability is defined as the loss of the ability of the spine under normal loads to maintain normal relationships between vertebrae in such as way that there is neither damage nor subsequent compromise of the spinal cord or spinal nerve roots, and in addition, there is no development of incapacitating deformities or pain secondary to structural changes.
The Development of Spinal Dysfunction
Each spinal segment influences the spinal segments around it. The individual spinal segment can influence the posture and dynamics of the spinal region as well as the entire spine. For example, a painful spinal segment may be associated with persistent spasm of large spinal muscles, which will alter the mobility of the entire spine. It may also result in antalgia, a term that describes a sustained posture that reduces ones back pain. Compensatory motion occurs in adjacent segments of the spine in order the preserve mobility to as close to normal as possible. This can create a domino-like effect throughout a region of the spine. This occurs frequently in spinal fusion. The fused spinal segment can no longer move or absorb normal impact pressures or shock. The adjacent spinal segments and the discs will be placed under additional strain in order to compensate for lost movement during everyday actives.
Do the Bones of My Spine Go “Out of Place�?
Not unless there is severe trauma or destructive disease. Vertebrae may go out of place if there is a fracture or dislocation, both representing serious injury to the spine. Vertebrae may “go out of place� if there is severe destructive disease, which has compromised the bone or supporting elements of the spinal segment. An example would be an aggressive tumor. Some spine specialists may occasionally refer to a bone being out of place during the course of therapy as way of describing a malposition between two vertebrae or to oversimplify a vertebral disrelationship in the absence of more serous compromise such as dislocation or fracture. Quite often the term may be used to describe a spinal segment which has lost normal mobility or which has an abnormal pattern of movement.
Definition of a Joint:
A joint is defined as the approximation of two bones supported by specialized tissues such as ligaments, tendons, and membranous joint capsules. Some joints contain fluid in the joint space referred to as the synovial fluid, which has both nutrient value and shock absorbing capacity. Some joints are connected together by relatively inflexible fibrocartilage. There are many specialized nerve endings referred to as receptors within the supportive and connecting tissues of the joint. The spine contains uniquely shaped joints that are planar in function where the surfaces slide on each other, with only a small degree of pivoting.
Many researchers in the medical and chiropractic fields have addressed the issue of functional X-ray assessment. This refers to taking X-rays of the spine in different positions to evaluate the movement patterns of individual spinal segments. Deceased spinal segment movement (segmental hypomobility), increased spinal joint movement (segmental hypermobility), and excessive spinal segment movement (spinal instability), can be documented by positional x-rays. Functional radiography of an individual’s spine is beneficial for documenting spinal instability and the need for fusion.
Spinal Hypermobility Versus Instability
Segmental (spinal) hypermobility is defined as a spinal motion segment with excessive movement which may be associated with pain but is not so extreme to be life threatening of to require surgical stabilization. The term clinical instability is defined as the loss of the ability of the spine under normal loads to maintain normal relationships between vertebrae in such as way that there is neither damage nor subsequent compromise of the spinal cord or spinal nerve roots, and in addition, there is no development of incapacitating deformities or pain secondary to structural changes.
The Development of Spinal Dysfunction
Each spinal segment influences the spinal segments around it. The individual spinal segment can influence the posture and dynamics of the spinal region as well as the entire spine. For example, a painful spinal segment may be associated with persistent spasm of large spinal muscles, which will alter the mobility of the entire spine. It may also result in antalgia, a term that describes a sustained posture that reduces ones back pain. Compensatory motion occurs in adjacent segments of the spine in order the preserve mobility to as close to normal as possible. This can create a domino-like effect throughout a region of the spine. This occurs frequently in spinal fusion. The fused spinal segment can no longer move or absorb normal impact pressures or shock. The adjacent spinal segments and the discs will be placed under additional strain in order to compensate for lost movement during everyday actives.
Do the Bones of My Spine Go “Out of Place�?
Not unless there is severe trauma or destructive disease. Vertebrae may go out of place if there is a fracture or dislocation, both representing serious injury to the spine. Vertebrae may “go out of place� if there is severe destructive disease, which has compromised the bone or supporting elements of the spinal segment. An example would be an aggressive tumor. Some spine specialists may occasionally refer to a bone being out of place during the course of therapy as way of describing a malposition between two vertebrae or to oversimplify a vertebral disrelationship in the absence of more serous compromise such as dislocation or fracture. Quite often the term may be used to describe a spinal segment which has lost normal mobility or which has an abnormal pattern of movement.
Definition of a Joint:
A joint is defined as the approximation of two bones supported by specialized tissues such as ligaments, tendons, and membranous joint capsules. Some joints contain fluid in the joint space referred to as the synovial fluid, which has both nutrient value and shock absorbing capacity. Some joints are connected together by relatively inflexible fibrocartilage. There are many specialized nerve endings referred to as receptors within the supportive and connecting tissues of the joint. The spine contains uniquely shaped joints that are planar in function where the surfaces slide on each other, with only a small degree of pivoting.
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