Bone Spurs, Bulging Discs, & Pinched Nerves–What Do These Mean To You?

Our spine is an integral part of our daily experience, its flexibility and resilience carries us through our favorite activities and is involved in almost every move we make.  When something goes wrong with our spines things can get uncomfortable, with spurs and bulging discs leading to numbness and pain as the spinal cord gets compressed or impinged.  Fort Worth Neurosurgical and Spine Consultants have been providing answers for those who suffer from these kinds of conditions, with Dr. Diana Wilson playing an integral role in determining what kind of treatment should be used.  With a focus on minimally invasive treatments, you’ll experience less downtime and be able to get back to living that much faster.

What Are Bone Spurs And How Do They Occur?
At its core, a bone spur is the result of the body taking measures to defend itself against the rigors of daily use by building calcium deposits in places where the vertebrae of the spine come into contact.  Unfortunately, this can lead to bulges in the bone that cause compression on the spinal cord, leading to numbness, tingling, or even pain in the affected areas. While bone spurs can occur anywhere, the ones that occur in the spine can lead to serious complications.

Common Causes of Bone Spurs

• Degenerative Disc Disease – As the discs in your spine start breaking down from injury or simple wear and tear, the bones can come into contact and promote the growth of spurs.
• Spinal Osteoarthritis – When the protective cartilage that exists between the vertebrae begins wearing away, it exposes bone that can begin rubbing against other exposed bone.
• Injury – Especially common in those who engage in high-impact sports, injuries to the spine resulting from the sudden acceleration of the spine or sudden impacts, such as with car accidents, can lead to the development of bone spurs.
• Aging – As time goes on our bodies can wear down, with ligaments and tendons causing the bones to come out of their natural alignment and begin abrading on other bone.

Surprisingly excess weight and smoking don’t cause bone spurs directly, but they can accelerate the degeneration of the spine leading to this condition.  Other potential causes are family history, eating habits, and poor posture.

What About Bulging Discs?
Another cause of back pain and pinched nerves are bulging discs. Discs are fluid-filled cartilaginous pouches that exist between the vertebrae and serve to cushion the bones from rubbing against each other.  Like any other structure in the human body, especially the spine, these discs take regular and consistent abuse from day to day activities. In the event that a disc should herniate or slip out of place, pain, numbness, and tingling can occur in that area of the spine.  

Dr. Diana Wilson has been working with patients who have been experiencing complications from both these conditions for years and works diligently to ensure that her patients get treatment using the most minimally invasive methods.  These techniques ensure that the patients can return to work, play, and life as quickly as possible. If you suspect you may be suffering from either of these conditions, contact Dr. Diana Wilson at Fort Worth Neurosurgical and Spine Consultants today!