17 DISEASES OF THE SPINE, SYMPTOMS AND CAUSES - NEUROPSYCHOLOGY - 2025

In this article I will describe the main diseases of the spine so that you can identify them and prevent them from occurring again. Back pain is very common, I do not know anyone who has not suffered at least once in his life. They are usually caused by a contracture caused by poor posture.

The spine is a complex structure, made up of multiple bones and joints, therefore, it is not surprising that sometimes something happens in one of the structures and we feel neck, back and even leg pain.

Potential spinal-related pain problems are:

• Pinching or irritation of the long nerves that go to the legs and arms.
• Pinching or irritation of the short nerves around the spine.
• Strain of the erector back muscles (the two large muscles on either side of the spine).
• Any injury to bones, ligaments and / or joints.
• Problems related to the segments that lie between the vertebrae.

These problems can be caused by multiple conditions or conditions, including:

• Infections
• Injuries
• Tumors
• Diseases such as ankylosing spondylitis and scoliosis.
• Age-related bone changes, such as spinal stenosis and herniated discs.

The main causes of back pain are listed below, categorized according to the height of the spine where the problem occurs.

Neck pain

The intricate structure of the cervical vertebrae is strained every day simply by everyday tasks (like working in front of a computer) that overload it. Some of the most common conditions are:

Degenerative cervical disc disease

The most common symptoms in people who suffer from this disease are neck stiffness and pain, although they may also suffer from tingling, numbness or weakness in the neck, shoulders and arms as a result of irritation or pinching of the nerves in the cervical area due to to disc degeneration.

In addition, this disease can degenerate into cervical stenosis and other progressive diseases and increase the chances of suffering a cervical disc herniation.

Cervical disc herniation

Hernias occur when a portion of the inner part of the disc is displaced and pinches or presses on nerves. It is usually caused by trauma or injury to the neck and symptoms appear spontaneously.

Symptoms include severe pain, tingling, and muscle weakness, often beginning in the neck and continuing to the shoulders and arms, and can even be felt in the fingers.

Cervical stenosis

Cervical stenosis is a progressive disease in which nerves are pinched at the neck.

The impingement occurs because, with age, the joints of the spinal canal stiffen and these end up pinching and compressing the nerves, causing cervical myelopathy. For obvious reasons, this condition is more common in older people.

Cervical osteoarthritis

Cervical osteoarthritis, also called degenerative joint disease or simply neck arthritis, is caused by degeneration of the neck joints.

People who suffer from this disease feel a sharp pain in the neck that extends to the shoulders or shoulder blades, this pain is more intense at the end and at the beginning of the day and improves when the person begins to move and with rest.

Sometimes they can also suffer from headaches, especially in the back.

Neck pain and stiffness

The most common causes of neck pain and stiffness are muscle strain or sprain, which in turn can be caused by poor posture, a sports injury, an activity that requires turning the head from side to side (such as swimming), suffer continuous stress, etc.; diseases of the spine, such as those explained above; infection or meningitis.

Symptoms suffered by people with this condition include pain (which can range from mild to extreme), difficulty moving the neck sideways, and sometimes headaches, shoulders, and arms.

These symptoms usually last between two days and a week and disappear spontaneously, although it is advisable to learn exercises and postures to maintain every day to prevent it from occurring again.

Back or chest pain

Although the structure formed by the dorsal vertebrae and the rib cage is quite strong and has little movement, problems can also arise in this area that cause back pain. The most common are:

Muscle problems

The pain in the upper back is mainly caused by irritation or tension of the muscles located here, this type of pain is called myofascial. The main cause of this pain is usually poor posture.

Joint dysfunction

Some problems in the joints that join the ribs and the spine can cause severe pain in this area.

Degeneration or herniated discs

These conditions are not frequent in the thoracic area, due to its stiffness, but when they occur they cause intense pain.

Arthritis

As we age, the cartilage located in the joints between the vertebrae tend to thin and even appear, resulting in arthritis.

This can irritate and inflame the nerves, causing pain caused by the tension and pressure caused on the nerves and limiting the movements that the person can perform.

Vertebral fractures

The most common cause of chest pain is compression fractures due to osteoporosis. These fractures usually occur in the last vertebrae in this area (T9-T12).

Kyphosis (hump)

Kyphosis can be caused by vertebral fractures, long-term poor posture, or deformity. Although the main symptom of this condition is deformity, it can also cause pain.

Scoliosis

Scoliosis occurs because the bones of the spine drift abnormally to the sides and often cause pain.

Lumbar pain

The lumbar area of ​​the spine is made up of multiple structures and, therefore, there are many causes that can give rise to low back pain, in addition the problems usually occur in several structures that are related, causing a more complex problem.

The most common causes of low back pain are:

Muscle problems

The most common cause of low back pain is muscle problems due to muscle tension.

This can be caused by poor posture, by repetitively performing a task that involves those muscles, or by over-exerting those muscles, for example, lifting weights. Pain caused by muscle problems usually goes away in several days.

Disc degeneration

The vertebral discs are spongy tissues located between the vertebrae so that there is no friction between them. Degeneration of these discs can rub the vertebrae together and cause severe pain.

Lumbar disc herniation

The most common place where herniated discs occur is the lower back. The hernia can occur suddenly due to injury or progressively due to wear and tear.

This condition usually causes severe pain and is the most common cause of sciatica pain reflected in the leg.

Sacroiliac joint dysfunction

The sacroiliac joint connects the lumbar vertebrae with the coccyx. When there is a dysfunction in this joint, lower back pain or sciatica can be suffered.

Spondylolisthesis

Spondylolisthesis occurs when a vertebra slides over the one just below it, compressing the nerves and can cause leg or even foot pain.

This problem tends to occur more commonly in the last lumbar vertebrae or at their junction with the sacrum (L4-L5 or L5-S1).

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is caused by the wear and aging of the cartilage that surround the joints.

When this cartilage thins, friction between the vertebrae can occur, leading to cracks in the bones, swelling of the joints, and pinched nerves. The main symptoms of this condition are pain and limited mobility.

Lumbar stenosis

Stenosis occurs from normal aging, when the channel through which the nerves pass becomes rigid. This stiffness irritates and compresses the nerves, which can result in leg pain, tingling, numbness, and difficulty walking.

The sciatic nerve, which runs from the back to the feet through the legs, can be damaged or pinched with any of the aforementioned conditions. Sciatic nerve problems are characterized by severe, tingling pain that spreads throughout the leg.

Sacrum pain

The sacrum is a bone that connects to the pelvis (with the iliac bones) through the sacroiliac joint. Problems in this area are often called sacroiliac joint dysfunctions, are more common in women than men, and can degenerate into a problem with the sciatic nerve.

Another common problem in this area is coccydynia or coccyx pain. This condition is also more common in women and is usually caused by local trauma (such as a fall) or after childbirth.

This condition is characterized by severe and persistent pain at the end of the spine that worsens when that area is pressed, for example, sitting down.

Anatomy of the spine

The spinal column is made up of 26 disc-shaped bones, called vertebrae, linked together by tendons and ligaments. This structure is highly resistant, as well as flexible, and is designed to protect the bone marrow and keep us upright.

Four regions can be differentiated in the spinal column:

The cervical area (the neck)

The neck supports all the weight of our head and is the first protective barrier for the spinal nerves, which leave the brain and reach the lumbar area, and other nerves that supply the rest of the body.

This region is made up of 7 vertebrae (C1-C7), the upper ones are smaller and the size of the vertebrae increases as it is lowered.

The segments between the two upper vertebrae (C1-C2 and C2-C3) * are especially important for head rotation, while the two lower segments (C5-C6 and C6-C7) are especially important for flexion and neck extension.

The thoracic or thoracic area (upper back)

This area is attached to the rib cage, each vertebra is attached to a rib, and together they form a resistant structure designed to protect vital organs located in that position, such as the heart or lungs.

This region is made up of 12 vertebrae (T1-T12) that remain firm and are not very flexible, therefore, in addition to protecting the internal organs, they help us to maintain posture.

The lumbar area (the lower back)

This area is considerably more mobile than the dorsal area, but it must also bear the full weight of the torso and, sometimes, it is not strong enough, so it is the area of ​​the spine that usually gives more problems.

This area is made up of 5 vertebrae (L1-L5), most of the mobility in this area is achieved thanks to the segments between the last three vertebrae (L3-L4 and L4-L5).

The sacral area (the lowest part of the spine)

At the end of the lumbar area of ​​the spine is a bone called the sacrum, this bone is embedded in the iliac bones of the pelvis through the sacroiliac joints and is shaped like a hollow triangle to connect the spinal cord with the lower part of our Body.

References

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6. Image source