Spinal Disorders
Physicians of many disciplines encounter patients complaining of neck pain, back pain, and radicular symptoms. Although the prognoses for spinal problems are generally favorable and most patients recover quickly, in many cases, symptoms recur or persist over time. Sharing information with patients can help health care providers develop a rationale for treatment that stresses the role of patients in their recovery. This chapter discusses spine anatomy and function, age-related degeneration of spine structures, the epidemiology and natural history of degenerative spine disorders, the basic neurology of pain, and treatment choices that may optimize recovery. A table describes common patterns of symptoms and signs of radiculopathies. A graph illustrates pain scores for leg pain from acute lumbar radiculopathies. This chapter contains 1 highly rendered figure, 1 table, 323 references, and 5 MCQs.