Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Gwinnett Medical Center - 50

W

hile it's true that
back pain can be
wide-ranging, with a
number of diﬀerent
causes, varying symptoms and
extensive treatment options, writing
it oﬀ as nothing serious may be riskier
than you think.

Listening to YOUR BODY
It's estimated that nearly 85 percent
of back pain is the result of strain;
however, this doesn't necessarily mean
that back pain is inconsequential. "Even
though back pain may not be visible to
the naked eye, your body is trying to tell

50

WI NT ER 2 0 1 7

you something," says Cally D'Angelo,
a recent patient of Gwinnett Medical
Center's Back Pain Center.
So before you assume that your back
pain is nothing more than a temporary
nuisance, let's take a closer look at some
of the other common causes:
3 HERNIATED OR SLIPPED DISCS:
This occurs when the soft tissue discs
between your spinal bones become
compressed or misaligned. It's caused
by wear and tear, or in some cases by
injury or accident. When this soft tissue
is not doing its job cushioning the spinal
bones, the nerves that pass through
the vertebrae can become squeezed,
causing pain.
3BULGING DISCS: This is similar
to a herniated disc, but the disc is
protruding or bulging instead of
being completely ﬂat. Pain can be
intermittent with this condition,
depending on whether there is pressure
on the nerve.

3 SPINAL STENOSIS: This is a
condition in which the spinal canal
narrows, putting pressure on the spine
and nerves. This is more common in
people who are middle aged and older. It
will often cause the legs and shoulders
to feel numb.
3 PINCHED NERVE: This is often
caused by a bone spur on a vertebra, or
by a herniated disc.
3 PROBLEMS WITH THE
SACROILIAC JOINT: The sacroiliac is
the joint where your spine and pelvis
come together. It's an important area
because it transfers weight from the
upper body to the lower. Over time, the
cartilage in this area can wear down
or swell due to arthritis, infection,
pregnancy or as the result of an injury.

Sometimes a
SERIOUS ISSUE
Cally D'Angelo had the unfortunate
experience of learning just how serious
back pain can be. "For years, I had back,
neck and shoulder pain," she explains,
"During this time I worked multiple
jobs, some of which were physically
demanding, and thought that was the
reason behind all of it." Determined not
to slow down, she tried desperately to
cope with the pain.
"At one point, the pain in my lower
back had gotten so bad that I thought
I had a severe kidney infection," she
says. "My back would hurt so badly
that I would ride in the car with the
seat warmers on, even in the middle of
summer." Finally, she decided enough
was enough.
At the end of October 2016, Cally's
primary care provider referred her to
a neurologist, who ordered MRIs on
her neck. "Typically, these results take
at least a week to get back, but the
neurologist called me the next day and
told me that I needed surgery as soon as
possible. My C5 and C6 discs were out
of alignment and compressing my spinal

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Gwinnett Medical Center

Contents
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Gwinnett Medical Center - Cover1
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Gwinnett Medical Center - Cover2
Vim & Vigor - Winter 2017 - Gwinnett Medical Center - Contents
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