Back pain & sports injuries specialists in Bristol

Stage 1 - Stiff Spinal Segments

The cause of the majority of simple low back pain. the starved disc starts to dehydrate, stiffen and thicken and lose height causing the joints to take more compressive load and generating low grade aching.

Stage 2 - Facet Joint Arthropathy

The overloaded joints attempt to strengthen to carry the extra strain but causes overgrowth of boney and ligament tissue that can narrow the nerves exit holes from the spine and create leg pain and symptoms.

Stage 2 - Acute locked back

As movement between the vertebrae becomes limited, the muscles begin to weaken without a job to do making the spinal segment vulnerable. A simple movement can jink the back and cause overriding muscles to go into protective spasm. You are unable to straighten and your back feels tight and painful.

Stage 4 - Prolapsed Disc

Eventually the drying out disc becomes weakened and a simple movement will cause the wall to weaken and bulge out, occasionally prolapsing completely.

Stage 5 - Spinal Instability

The final stage in breakdown, the weakened disc and overloaded facet joints are no longer able to support the segment which becomes loose and uncontrolled in forward bend generating frequent spasm to attempt to control this movement.