The spine is a complicated place to operate and the potential to cause more damage is sometimes as great as the potential to relieve pain. Follow these guidelines, recommended by surgeons themselves, to make sure you make the best decision about surgery . It is difficult to tell whether the degeneration is actually the cause of the pain. The same is true for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) scans. Ankylosing spondylitis causes the vertebrae to slowly fuse together, causing pain and stiffness. Fortunately, ankylosing spondylitis is quite uncommon, responds well to modern treatments, and is less likely to cause disability than in the past.It is the second most common illness-related reason given for a missed workday and the most common cause of disability. Work-related back injury is the number one occupational hazard. Unless your pain is very severe or causing bad sciatica you should try to stay mobile. Do some specific back exercises every day and some general fitness exercise as well (see ‘What back exercises should I do? There are many causes of pain in the back. Symptoms in the low back can be a result of problems in the bony lumbar spine, discs between the vertebrae, ligaments around the spine and discs, spinal cord and nerves, muscles of the low back, internal organs of the pelvis and abdomen, and the skin covering the lumbar area.Many causes of mechanical low back pain exist. The most common causes are age-related degenerative disk and facet processes and muscle- or ligament-related injuries. Injury to these nerves can cause pain. Then you’ll definitely want to read this guide because you’ll learn about the real cause of herniated discs and how to heal them and get lasting relief without dangerous medications or risky surgery.Injury, occupation, excess weight, and genetics are among the factors which cause the cartilage of a joint to wear away. For about 95 per cent of the cases, the pain can be managed effectively even when the specific cause is unknown. In fact, 90 per cent of the patients recover within six weeks. Adjustments can help ease nerve irritation that can be causing all the sharp pain, inflammation and muscle spasms that are usually associated with sciatica. Adjustments are safe and should be pain free.But it is vital not to overstretch in any direction as this may cause rather than prevent pain. If possible get advice from a qualified instructor to ensure you are doing an exercise correctly (e.g. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this site! If left untreated, it can cause unnecessary suffering and upset a person’s life at home and on the job. The good news is that a wide range of treatment options are readily available to successfully reduce or manage this type of pain.Thinning discs can also make the back less flexible and pinch a nerve, causing sciatic leg pain, which is pain that travels down the leg and possibly to the feet. Sciatica gets worse when bending forward. This leads to fusing of the vertebra causing inflexibility in the spines mobility. Secondly, and more importantly, the underlying cause of the sciatica symptoms must be correctly diagnosed and treated.