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Scoliosis: Articles and Videos on Symptoms, Causes, Treatment. Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease : Overview. Degenerative disc disease in the lumbar spine, or lower back, refers to a syndrome in which a compromised disc causes low back pain.

Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease : Overview

Although there is a slight genetic component to individuals who suffer from DDD, the true cause is probably multifactorial. It could be from simple wear and tear, or may have a traumatic cause. However, it rarely starts from a major trauma such as a car accident. It is most likely due to a low energy injury to the disc that progresses with time. See What is Degenerative Disc Disease? The disc itself does not have a blood supply, so if it sustains an injury it cannot repair itself the way other tissues in the body can. Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy (Spinal Cord Compression) - Your Orthopaedic Connection.

Copyright 2009 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy (Spinal Cord Compression) One of the most common neck conditions that occurs with age is cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM).

Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy (Spinal Cord Compression) - Your Orthopaedic Connection

Over time, the normal wear-and-tear effects of aging can lead to a narrowing of the spinal canal. This compresses — or squeezes — the spinal cord. CSM can cause a variety of symptoms, including pain, numbness, and weakness. Understanding your spine and how it works can help you better understand CSM. The vertebral column. Spinal cord compression is a very common neck condition affecting older people in the United States. Many people with CSM will have steady progression of their disease. Neck pain may result from abnormalities in the soft tissues—the muscles, ligaments, and nerves—as well as in bones and joints of the spine. Inflammatory Diseases Rheumatoid arthritis can destroy joints in the neck and cause severe stiffness and pain.

Spine Basics - Your Orthopaedic Connection. Copyright 2013 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Spine Basics This article is also available in Spanish: Conceptos básicos de la columnaConceptos básicos de la columna (topic.cfm?

Spine Basics - Your Orthopaedic Connection

Topic=A00616). Understanding your spine and how it works can help you better understand some of the problems that occur from aging or injury. Many demands are placed on your spine. Migraine. Migraine is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by recurrent moderate to severe headaches often in association with a number of autonomic nervous system symptoms.

Migraine

The word derives from the Greek ἡμικρανία (hemikrania), "pain on one side of the head",[1] from ἡμι- (hemi-), "half", and κρανίον (kranion), "skull".[2] Migraines are believed to be due to a mixture of environmental and genetic factors.[4] About two-thirds of cases run in families.[5] Changing hormone levels may also play a role, as migraines affect slightly more boys than girls before puberty, but about two to three times more women than men.[6][7] The risk of migraines usually decreases during pregnancy.[6] The exact mechanisms of migraine are not known. It is, however, believed to be a neurovascular disorder.[5] The primary theory is related to increased excitability of the cerebral cortex and abnormal control of pain neurons in the trigeminal nucleus of the brainstem.[8]

Headaches and Migraines Center: Treatments, Causes, Types (Cluster, Tension, Chronic, Sinus, and More ) American Pain Foundation. American Pain Society. Managing Pain – Chronic Pain Management Information for Patients & Caregivers. Cope With Chronic Pain - How to Cope With Chronic Pain. If you have chronic pain, it may be hard to imagine life without anxiety.

Cope With Chronic Pain - How to Cope With Chronic Pain

Constantly being in pain is stressful, and can lead to feelings of fear, helplessness and despair. Feeling bleak about the future of your chronic pain condition? Then keep reading, because there is hope. There are ways to learn to cope with chronic pain. Learning to Cope Effective coping strategies can impact your pain. Spinal Stenosis.org. Spine-Health. Lumbar spinal stenosis. Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is a medical condition in which the spinal canal narrows and compresses the spinal cord and nerves at the level of the lumbar vertebra.

Lumbar spinal stenosis

This is usually due to the common occurrence of spinal degeneration that occurs with aging. It can also sometimes be caused by spinal disc herniation, osteoporosis or a tumor. In the cervical (neck) and lumbar (low back) region it can be a congenital condition to varying degrees. Why Night Owls Are More Intelligent than Morning Larks. Some people are night owls, and others are morning larks. What makes the difference may be their levels of general intelligence . Virtually all species in nature , from single-cell organisms to mammals, including humans, exhibit a daily cycle of activity called circadian rhythm . The circadian rhythm in mammals is regulated by two clusters of nerve cells called the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) in the anterior hypothalamus.

Geneticists have by now identified a set of genes that regulate the SCN and thus the circadian rhythm among mammals. However, humans, unlike other mammalian species, have the unique ability, consciously and cognitively, to override their internal biological clock and its rhythmic outputs. While there are some individual differences in the circadian rhythm, where some individuals are more nocturnal than others, humans are basically a diurnal (day-living) species.