Disorders of the Back and the Muscles

¶ … signs and symptoms of a person suffering from intervertebral disc disease?

The signs that a person may have intervertebral disc disease include suffering from lower back pain which "radiates along the path of the sciatic nerve," a nerve that branches from the lower back through the hips and buttocks, then down each leg (Mayo Clinic).

The Medscape publication reports that a person suffering from intervertebral disc disease (IDD) feels "sharp" (not dull) pain, and usually the pain is "bilateral" and seems located at the beltline. In most cases the sharp pain is preceded by "multiple episodes of less severe lower back pain," and it is located in the lower back and "gluteal area" (Medscape, 2014). Sitting or standing for long periods of time causes "rotation" or "flexion" kinds of pain, and it is temporarily relieved by changing positions (to a "recumbent position") (Medscape). A doctor or qualified nurse will know that a person is going through intervertebral disc problems because the patient will have an "abnormal gait" (walking differently than normal); will also have "abnormal postures" and a decreased "range of motion" (Medscape).

What causes IDD? The National Institutes of Health (NIH) explain that IDD can be caused by "occupational stress, trauma, or obesity," which when interacting with "genetic alterations" can cause "structural weakness of a disc" including a herniation of the disk which in turn can bring on "sciatica and pathological disc changes" (NIH, 2012).

What are the signs and symptoms of a person suffering from musculoskeletal disorder (as opposed to intervertebral disc disease?)

Symptoms that can arise when a person is going through musculoskeletal disorder include aching throughout their whole body; the muscles will feel like they are simply tired and overworked (as opposed to the sharp, penetrating pain of intervertebral disc disorder) (WebMD). The muscles of the body in musculoskeletal disorder are known to "twitch or burn," and indeed there is pain, there is fatigue, and sleep disorders can result from musculoskeletal disorders.

How does the treatment vary between musculoskeletal disorder and intervertebral disc disorder?

Doctors will recommend various types of "manual therapy, or mobilization," as therapy for musculoskeletal disorder; some medications may be prescribed: non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; acetaminophen or opioids; any of these medications are typically prescribed for pain. What doctors will try to do is to increase the body's levels of serotonin and norepinephrine (using medications like Ambien, Lunesta, and Rozerem, in "low doses") (WebMD). Moreover, there could actually be injections (of anti-inflammatory medications) around the most painful muscles; and they may be exercise to strengthen the muscles, including stretching; also acupuncture or acupressure can be used along with "relaxation and biofeedback techniques" (WebMD).