Acute Low Back Pain - Severe, short-term pain in the lower back area.

Acute Pain - Short-term, severe pain, perhaps from a traumatic injury.

Adhesions - The process whereby scar tissue binds to nerves, and often causes pain.

Anesthesia Types -

• General: Sedated beyond consciousness; often breathing is done for you.

• Regional: This is a nerve-block that eliminates feeling in a certain area.
• Sedation: You maintain consciousness and breathe on your own, but experience decreased awareness and sensation.
• Local: A simple injection meant to numb sensation in an area near the injection site.

Annulus - Meaning ‘ring' in Latin. This dense, fibrous ring-like structure is the outer portion of the disc.

Anterior - A directional term meaning towards the front of the body.

Catheter - A hollow tube through which medicine or other substances, such as a salt solution, is injected into the body.

Cauda Equina - Comprises the roots of all the spinal nerves below the first lumbar.

Caudal - A directional term meaning towards the feet.

Central Nerve Pain - Neurological condition caused by damage specifically to the central nervous system—brain, brainstem or spinal cord. Usually steady pain described as a burning, aching or cutting sensation.

Cephalad - A directional term meaning towards the head.

Chronic - Long-term, usually greater than six months.

Coccyx - Tailbone.

Computer Tomography (CT) - A set of multiple X-ray images that are used to build a multi-dimensional image of an affected part of the body.

Connective Tissue - Ligaments, muscles and other fibrous tissue that holds the organs and body structures in place.

Degenerative - Deterioration either caused by aging or related to diseases such as arthritis.

Descending Inhibition - Decreasing function.

Disc - The soft cushion material located between each of the vertebral bones in the spine. The hard outside shell of the disc is called the annulus fibrosis, while the soft center is called the nucleus pulposus.

Discectomy - A surgical procedure to remove a disc.

Discitis - An inflammatory process that can result in splits and cracks in a disc.

Discogenic Pain - The soft material inside the disc breaks out through a tear in the annulus.

Discogram - A procedure in which contrast dye is injected into the center of a disc to see splits and cracks in the disc, usually followed by CT scan.

Epidural - In the spinal area there is the spinal canal, which is encased in a plastic bag-like structure; the dura, which holds the fat and the blood; and an area external to them both. This is the epidural area (outside of the dura).

Epidural Steroids - A technique that involves an injection to a region (not a specific area) in the back to reduce inflammation and pain.

Epidurography - A procedure involving injecting contrast dye into the back to determine where adhesions have formed.  The dye fills in the defects, which then can be seen on radiologic images. 

Epiduroscopy - Visually confirming and freeing nerves in the epidural space.

Ergonomics - The science of the workplace environment.

Etiology - The science and study of the causes of disease and their mode of operation.

Extension - Straightening of a joint or extremity so that angle between contiguous bones is decreased (bending backward).

Facet joint - The junction or joint between the vertebrae. The facet joint allows the spine to twist back and forth.

Fibrosis - A build up of scar tissue resulting in nerves no longer being mobile.

Flexion—Bending of a joint or extremity so that angle between contiguous bones is decreased (bending forward).

Flossing – A physical therapy technique to mobilize or increase movement of nerves so that they don't ‘scar down', or adhere to other tissues.

Fluoroscope - A portable X-ray machine that also can show movement. For example, a physician looking to find the exact location of a nerve with a needle will use a fluoroscope to check how the inserted needle is moving into position. 

Foramen/ Foramina - An opening in a bone through which nerve roots pass.

Hematoma - A swelling caused by a blood leakage (like a bruise).

Hypertonic Saline - More than 1.0 percent concentration of saline solution.

Hypotonic Saline - Less than .9 percent concentration of saline  solution.

Increasing Inhibition - Increasing function. 

Infarction - Death of body tissue from a lack of blood supply.

Inflammatory - Pertaining to, characterized by, causing, resulting from or becoming affected by inflammation.

Intradiscal Electrothermocoagulation (IDET) – A procedure whereby a disc is cauterized or heated to seal a rupture.

Intrathecal - The space where the spinal fluid is located around the spinal cord. This is contained within a sac of connective tissue.

Intrathecal Therapy - Blocks pain by directing small doses of medication to pain receptors in the spinal cord, which then block the transmission of pain signals to the brain.

Isotonic Saline - A concentration of salt water that matches the normal body concentration of saline.

Lamina - Flat bone that forms the roof of the spine.

Laminectomy - A common term for a decompression surgery is, literally meaning to remove, or cut out, the bony roof of the spinal canal.

Lateral Flexion - Bending sideways.

Lysis of Adhesions—Freeing the nerve from scars to treat pain.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) - This is a way to view soft tissue inside the body.

Manipulation - Involves the distraction of tissue by the laying on of hands. 

Myelography - Radiography of the spinal cord and nerve roots after the injection of a contrast medium into the spinal subarachnoid space (into the spinal fluid).

Myofascial Pain - Pain and inflammation in the soft tissues or muscles.

Neurolytic - A substance that kills the nerve.

Neuropathic - Relating to any disorder affecting any segment of the nervous system.

Neuropathic Pain - The technical term for pain due to injury of nerves.

Neuroplasty - Remodeling of the nerve to reduce or eliminate pain.

Nociceptive - Transmission of muscle/bone pain 

Nucleus Pulposus - Soft cushion-like material in the center of the intervertebral disc.

Osteomyelitis - Inflammation of the bone marrow and adjacent bone. 

Pain generator - Source of your pain.

Paresthesia - An abnormal, mild tingling sensation.

Pedicles - A tissue stalk by which a type of tumor is attached to normal tissue.

Percutaneous Neuroplasty - Noninvasive nerve surgery.

Peripheral Nerve Pain - Pain in the nerves outside the brain or spinal cord that often causes a sensation of burning, tingling or numbness in fingers and toes.

Posterior - A directional term meaning towards the back of the body.

Prophylaxis - Preventative.

Prevention Neuritis - A nerve irritation that can be very painful and can be related to multiple traumas in an area.

Radicular Pain - Back or neck pain that radiates into the arms or legs.

Radio Frequency (RF) - Short for Radio Frequency Thermal Coagulation (RFTC). This is a procedure done to relieve pain by destroying part of the sensory nerve going to a specific joint. RF also can be used to heat lesion discs for treating discogenic pain.  Electromagnetic field (EMF) pulsed lesioning is the use of radiofrequency without nerve destruction. Pulsed means the short time intervals so that the tissues don't overheat.

Ropivicaine - A local anesthetic under a generic name.

Sacrum - A hard, flat bone at the end of the spinal column and below the small of the back. It consists of five fused bones that leads to the tailbone.

Scarring - Occurs from fibrosis and adhesions.

Sciatica - Pain in the lower back and hip radiating down the back of the thigh into the leg, initially attributed to sciatic nerve dysfunction. Usually due to herniated lumbar disc comprising a nerve root, most commonly L5 or S1.

Somatic - Relating to the soma or trunk, the wall of the body cavity, or the body in general.

Spinous Process - The little protruding bones you feel as you move your hand down your back.

Spondylolisthesis - A condition where a congenital source of instability involves the absence of the bony bridge between two vertebrae allowing the spine to slip forward.

Spondylolysis - An absence of the bony connection between the lamina or roof of the spine and the joint.

Sprain - Slight ligament tear that heals itself, although it can weaken the ligament. Exercises to strengthen the surrounding muscles often are encouraged.

Steroids - A strong, anti-inflammatory medication used to speed healing. Those that are injected are manmade.

Strain - Slight muscle tear that heals itself, although it can weaken the muscle. Exercises to strengthen the muscles are encouraged.

Subarachnoid - A layer of connective tissue also known as interthecal.

Subdural - An area below the dura, but above the arachnoid layer.

Sympathetic - A part of the autonomic (automatic) nervous system that is involved in the sensation of pain.

Sympathetic Ganglion - Nerve cell bodies associated with that part of the automomic nervous system involved with in the sensation of pain.

Sympathetically Mediated Nerve Pain - Involving the autonomic nervous system.

Systemic - Relating to a system, specifically somatic, relating to the entire organism as distinguished from any of its individual parts.

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation Unit (TENS) - A small electronic device that electrically stimulates the skin, muscles and nerve endings to relax muscles or improve muscle tone. 

Triamincinolone Diacetate - A steroid used for its anti-inflammatory effect.

Twisting - Rotational movement.

Vertebral Arch - Found behind but attached to the vertebral body.

Vertebral Body - Part of the vertebra which helps form a ring called the spinal canal through which the spinal cord runs.

 X-Ray Fluoroscopy - A portable X-ray device that can show continuous motion. This proves very useful in isolating and moving the needle to the exact location of your pain.