Neurological Disorders and Back Pain

Nerve roots, which originate at the spinal cord and travel within the spine until they exit to become nerves, can be injured by spinal disorders. Most commonly, the nerve roots are injured where they exit the spine by diseased disks, bony abnormalities (such as those accompanying osteoarthritis of the spine), or some combination of these disorders. Some patients with chronic pain that develops after surgery or trauma, the injury to the nerve roots is presumably related to scarring. Other problems, such as tumors, are very uncommon. Injury to nerves can refer pain down the leg. When severe, it can cause weakness or numbness. Very severe injury, which occurs rarely, can cause a caudia equina syndrome, in which there is injury to all the nerve roots, which can cause weakness and numbness of both legs, and bowel and bladder problems.