Closing the Gate of Pain

Drs. Ronald Melzack and Patrick Wall developed a theory about back pain in the 1960s.  Research on their theory is being given new life due to the amazing medical research tools available today.  The theory is called the Gate Control Theory of Pain.  It’s an interesting theory that’s being studied closer as doctors learn to […]

Knowing Your Spine

If you’re going to talk about back pain then you should know which vertebrae numbers belong to which spine segment.  Otherwise, it won’t mean a thing when the doctor tells you that vertebrae T6 is injured.  By the way, vertebrae is plural for vertebra.
The top section of the spine is called the cervical curve, and […]

Mystery of the Herniated Disc without Pain

A bulging disc is when the spongy material between vertebrae extends out. It’s usually caused by too much pressure that’s been put on the spine causing excessive compression. There are lots of nerves that run out from the disc, so when the disc bulges near one of the nerves, pain develops. The […]

Snaking Bones

We all know we have a spine, and we know it has a long snakelike design. But not everyone knows what keeps it supple and able to survive all the tension and motion we expect it to handle. The spine itself is made of vertebrae which are bones. But in between the […]