Most common of all chronic pain disorders.
Reported in 54-80% of individuals as some point in their life.
Pain generated from vertebral discs, nerve roots, dura, muscles, fascia, facet joints and ligaments.
Injury to any of the above tissues can lead to release of inflammatory mediators causing discomfort.
Disc related pain can be related to degeneration, herniation or by inflammation.
Epidural steroid injection is the first line of treatment in patients with spinal pain.
Compression of nerve roots by disc herniation regarded as the source of radiating pain to arm or leg, but release of chemical mediators, such as phospholipase A2, from a herniated disc may also play a significant role.
Prostaglandins and leukotrienes sensitize pain receptors and enhance pain generation in spinal pain.
Steroids inhibit phospholipase A2, and limit the formation of leukotrienes, and prostaglandins.