Degenerative Conditions

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Cervical Stenosis, Myelopathy and Radiculopathy
Cervical stenosis refers to narrowing of the space for the spinal cord or nerve branches in the cervical spine. Cervical myelopathy refers to a loss of function in the upper and lower extremities secondary to compression of the spinal cord within the neck. Cervical radiculopathy refers to a loss of function in a specific region within the upper extremity secondary to irritation and / or compression of a spinal nerve root in the neck.
Herniated Lumbar Disc
A herniated lumbar disc can press on the nerves in the spine and may cause pain, numbness, tingling or weakness of the leg. A herniated lumbar disc may also cause back pain.
Herniated Cervical Disc
Herniated, or ruptured, disc is caused by displacement of a disc's center through a crack in the outer layer, into the space occupied by the nerves and spinal cord. The herniated disc can then press on the nerves and cause pain, numbness, tingling or weakness in the shoulders or arms.
Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
Lumbar Spinal Stenosis is caused by the narrowing of the lumbar spinal canal. Spinal stenosis does not necessarily cause symptoms. When present, symptoms may include pain or numbness in the back and/or legs, or cramping in the legs. Weakness in the legs may occur. Rarely, bowel and/or bladder problems can occur.
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is the most common bone disease in the United States and developed countries. It is a disease of low bone mass resulting in deterioration of the structure of bones. This deterioration can weaken your bones so much that you can fracture a bone without major trauma. Every day activities, such as lifting a bag of groceries or rolling over in bed can result in a fracture.
Spondylolisthesis
In about 5% of the adult population, there is a developmental crack in one of the vertebrae which may develop as a stress fracture. Because of the constant forces the low back experiences, this fracture does not usually heal as normal bone. This type of fracture, called a spondylolysis, is simply a crack in part of the vertebra and may cause no problem at all. However, sometimes the cracked vertebra does slip forward over the vertebra below it, causing isthmic spondylolisthesis.