A
Acupuncture
A Chinese treatment method involving insertion of thin needles into the body at specific points (acupoints and surface meridians) to prevent and treat altered states of health.
Acupuncture is also used to treat backache, sciatic pain and, in general, all the types of pain that affect the back.
Algìa
In compound words, suffix for localised pain with no evident alterations in the affected region. Examples: myalgia, neuralgia...
Ankylosing Spondyloarthritis
An inflammatory disease characterised by a progressive rigidity of the spine due to a lesion of the sacroiliac joint and compromised respiratory function The arthritis can extend to the peripheral joints.
Aquatic Exercise
Exercises carried out in water, generally in a pool, as aerobics or spinning.
B
Backache
A general term that does not indicate the location of the pain. The rachis (spine) exhibits three primary and two secondary curvatures. The three primary curves are the cervical lordosis, the dorsal kyphosis and the lumbar lordosis. The two secondary curves are an occipital kyphosis and a sacral kyphosis. Any pain will therefore be identifiable with the region involved; for example, ‘I feel pain in the lumbar region’, ‘widespread pain in the dorsal area’, ‘pain in the cervical region’
Bone Fragility
A predisposition of bones to fracturing occurring when there is an alteration of the processes by which bone tissue is formed and involving mainly the protein component. Characteristic of osteoporosis.
Bruxism
Grinding of teeth grinding due to contraction of the muscles involved in chewing, usually manifesting during sleep and often unconsciously. Bruxism can cause damage to the teeth as well as to the muscular and skeletal systems. The persistent movement of the jaw brings the teeth of the two dental arches into contact and can cause inflammation and wear of the occlusal surfaces, wearing down of the enamel, and muscle pain.
The causes may be mechanical or psychological.
C
Cervical Arthrosis
Localised pain affecting the neck and the upper back. Concentrated in the cervical vertebrae; that is, the seven vertebrae making up the head’s ‘support shaft’, the neck. This condition may originate others, such as nausea, headache, vertigo and/or tingling.
Cervical Hyperlordosis
Accentuation of the normal concave curvature of the cervical region of the spine.
Cervical Lordosis
The physiological (normal) curve or posterior concavity formed by the seven cervical vertebrae. This curve is beneficial in that it permits the vertebral column to absorb the many loads it bears on a daily basis, The cervical lordosis is the curve which compensates the physiological dorsal kyphosis and enables us to maintain our horizontal gaze.
Chronic Low Back Pain
Pain localised in the lumbar region of the vertebral column, of more than three months’ persisting more than three months.
D
Disc Protrusion
Protrusion or extension (‘slippage’) of intervertebral disc material which remains contained within an intact annulus fibrosus.
Discopathy (Intervertebral Disc Disorder)
A generic term for various types of alterations/dysfunctions of the intervertebral disc, leading to a reduction of the space between one vertebra and the next. The condition results in reduced elasticity of the fibrous capsule of the disc.
Dorsal Hyperkyphosis (‘Round Back’ or ‘Hunchback’)
Accentuation of the normal convex curvature (kyphosis) of the vertebral column in the thoracic region.
Dorsal Pain
Pain localised in the dorsal region of the vertebral column.
E
Endorphins
Substances similar to morphine, produced by the brain, which play a primary role in reducing sensitivity to pain.
F
Fitness for Sport Activity
To practice a sport, athletes must be in good health and a state of physical efficiency. In order to verify physical efficiency and avoid the risk of more or less serious disorders, before undertaking any sport it is recommended to undergo a physical examination to individuate any alterations which may favour the onset of disabling conditions.
Flat Back
Reduction or straightening of normal dorsal kyphosis.
H
Headache or Cephalalgia
This term is used to describe myriad conditions. Headache may present with pain or a sensation of heaviness, pressure or swelling in the head or may be accompanied by nausea or vertigo or both. Headache may also be associated with other symptoms such as heaviness and pain affecting the eyes, painful sinuses, disorientation, etc. It is important to explain to your osteopath how you perceive your headache, with what frequency it occurs, what remedies attenuate the pain, and how long you have been experiencing headaches.
Hemisacralisation
An anomaly of differentiation of the lumbar rachis, more precisely called ‘hemi-sacralisation of the fifth lumbar vertebra’: one transverse process of the vertebra is more highly developed than the other and the L5 vertebra is fused with the first segment of the sacrum on only one side, The anomaly often causes lumbar scoliosis or scoliosis with a large degree of curvature with a convexity on the side corresponding to the sacralisation.
I
Intervertebral Disc
An elastic structure forming the ‘joint’ between two adjacent vertebrae. The disc may be compared with a pad, or cushion, between one vertebra and the next, whose function is to attenuate the pressures brought to bear on the vertebral column during movements or shocks it may suffer. Furthermore, the intervertebral discs confer greater mobility to the vertebral column and make it possible to perform such movements as flexion and torsion.
K
Kyphosis, Hyperkyphosis
Curvature of the vertebral column in the thoracic area. Hyperkyphosis is a skeletal deformity which may result from poor posture, especially during the developmental years, or as a consequence of osteoporosis.
Specific gymnastics and postural correction can improve and reverse this condition.
L
Low Back Pain (also ‘lumbago’)
Muscular-skeletal pain or discomfort localised in the lumbar region of the vertebral column.
Lumbar Hyperlordosis
Accentuation of the normal concave curvature of the spine in the lumbar region.
Lumbar Lordosis
The physiological (normal) curve or posterior concavity formed by the five lumbar vertebrae. This curve is beneficial in that it permits the vertebral column to absorb the many loads it bears on a daily basis.
Lumbarisation
An anomaly in differentiation of the lumbar spine or rachis, more precisely termed lumbarisation of the first sacral vertebra, which results in having six lumbar vertebrae and only four fused sacral vertebrae.
Lumbosciatica
Pain localised in the lumbar region due to inflammation of the sciatic nerve, marked by pain in the lower back and/or along the path of the sciatic nerve (sciatica).
M
Malocclusion
Incorrect positioning of one or more teeth in the dental arches or misalignment when the teeth of one arch contact those of the other.
Myback®
DMyback® is a device for relaxing the lumbar area of the vertebral column.
Myback® permits carrying out exercises for the back and postural gymnastics for the lumbar and cervical regions of the spine simply and efficaciously.
With Myback®, exercising becomes a pleasant and relaxing activity.
N
Nutritionist
The nutritionist must be thoroughly grounded in the properties of the nutritional and non-nutritional constituents of foods and the modifications they may undergo during technological processing.
The nutritionist must also possess specific knowledge of the biochemical and physiological mechanisms of digestion and absorption and of the metabolic processes that act on nutrients and, furthermore, be able to recognise effects attributable to malnutrition, whether undernutrition or overnutrition.
O
Orthopaedic Corset
A device constructed of plaster or fibreglass designed to correct malformations of the spine and, in particular, certain conditions affecting the vertebral column such as scoliosis. A corset may also be used during periods of convalescence following surgical procedures on or lesions to the vertebral column. By exerting a constant traction on the vertebral column, the corset may fully correct the deformity or prevent it from worsening.
Osteoblast
A cell that participates in the bone formation process.
Osteoclast
A multinucleated cell, residing in a lacuna in bony tissue, which breaks down bone.
Osteocyte
A basic bone cell residing in a lacuna of the bone; actively involved in bone resorption.
Osteomalacia
A quantitative alteration of bone mass due to under-mineralisation of the protein matrix.
Osteophyte
A small bony projection that forms along a joint margin. Due to wear on the intervertebral discs, the osteophyte forms at the margins of the vertebral bodies: this is one sign of spondyloarthrosis.
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a condition in which the skeleton is subject to a greater risk of fractures due to decreased bone mass and modifications to bone microarchitecture.
Although generally considered a condition affecting the bones, some researchers define osteoporosis as a paraphysiological process which, by its presence, increases the risk of developing certain diseases and disorders and consequently a shorter life expectancy if not adequately treated.
P
Pain Behaviour
Behaviour in the presence of pain. The term was proposed by Waddell to explain the process by which acute pain may transform into chronic pain. A subject in the acute phase manages pain with positive behaviour (correct pain behaviour), low back pain, even if strong, passes quickly and with no negative consequences. A subject in the acute phase who, instead, laments the pain, is discouraged, fears provoking further damage, accepts only passive treatment and generally behaves as an ill person (illness behaviour) will suffer longer, weaken and be subject to continual relapses and risks chronic low back pain and disability as a consequence.
Postural Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport in which athletes perform sequences of movements, of varying duration, which require strength, flexibility, and kinaesthetic ability (‘coordination’). Postural gymnastics targets prevention and correction of postural difficulties.
Postural Low Back Pain
Pain arising as a consequence of incorrect postures maintained over long periods of time. The pain is nothing more than a message: an alarm signal sent by the vertebral column reporting maltreatment and expressing its need to change position. It is sufficient to change position or correct incorrect posture to eliminate this type of lower back pain. Postural low back pain affects mainly younger subjects with intact rachis structures. Subjects suffering from postural low back pain usually do not resent any deformities or reduction in rachis joint mobility.
R
Rachis
Also called vertebral column or simply ‘spine’. It is the central ‘shaft’ whose functions are to support the human body and protect the spinal cord.
S
Sacralisation
An anomaly of the spine, more precisely known as ‘sacralisation of the fifth lumbar vertebra’, in which the subject has four lumbar vertebrae and six sacral vertebrae. The anomaly occurs when the transverse processes of the fifth lumbar vertebra develop abnormally and form a pseudoarthrosis (fuse with) the sacrum or the ileum; as a consequence, the intervertebral disc between the fifth lumbar vertebra and the first sacral vertebra is underdeveloped or totally lacking.
Schisis
Failure of fusion of the posterior vertebral arch. This condition rarely causes lower back pain. Schisis has to do with the posterior arch and therefore does not alter the solidity of the load-bearing vertebral body.
Sciatica or Lumbosciatica
Pain radiating to the leg, determined by compression of the sciatic nerve. It may affect the buttock or the back of the thigh or may extend as far as the foot. It is typically determined by protrusion or herniation of the disc lying between the fourth and fifth lumbar vertebra or the disc between the fifth lumbar and the first sacral vertebra.
Scoliosis
Idiopathic scoliosis is a complex structural deformity of the vertebral column involving deviation in the three planes: on the frontal plane, it manifests with a lateral flexion; on the sagittal plane with an alteration of the normal curves and most commonly causing an inversion; on the axial plane, with a rotational movement. By definition, idiopathic scoliosis has no known cause, and probably not a single cause.
Slipped Disc
A condition of the intervertebral disc consisting in the partial or complete expulsion (herniation) of the nucleus pulposus (the central portion of the disc).
The alteration most frequently affects the discs in the lumbar region of the spine and in particular the last lumbar vertebra and the first sacral vertebra.
Spinal Disc Herniation
A spinal disc herniation occurs when the nucleus pulposus (contained within the annulus fibrosus) is forced partially or totally out of an intervertebral disc. The most frequent site of herniation is the lumbar region, which, since it supports the weight of the entire upper body, is more subject to wear.
Spinal Pain
Pain localised in the spinal column: may be diffuse or circumscribed to a segment.
Spinal Stenosis
Narrowing of the spinal canal or of the lateral recess or of the intervertebral canal, called the foramen. Stenosis may be congenital or acquired. In only 19% of cases is it congenital; that is, determined by congenital malformations or anomalous development in the first years of life. In the great majority of cases (91%), stenosis occurs in the elderly: the spinal canal is normal at birth but gradually narrows over the years. The most common causes are arthrosis and hypertrophy of the facet joints.
Spondyloarthropathy or Spondylitis
Arthrosis of the joints of the vertebral column. A process of wear affecting the vertebral column, characterised not only by wear and hypertrophy of the anterior facets but also by degeneration of the intervertebral disc (degenerative disc disease), joint space narrowing, formation of osteophytes and enlargement of the joints.
Spondylolisthesis
The term derives from the Greek spondylos (vertebra) and ‘listhesis’, meaning slippage, and is used generically to indicate displacement of one vertebra with respect to its neighbour. It is more correct to speak of anterolisthesis when a vertebra shifts forward with respect to the vertebra underneath it, of retrolisthesis when the slippage is in the backward direction, and laterolisthesis when the vertebra slips laterally.
Spondylolysis
The term derives from the Greek spondylos (vertebra) and lysis (breakage or defect) and indicates an interruption of the isthmus (pars interarticolaris) located at the posterior arch of the vertebra, between the inferior and superior articular processes of the facet joint. Ninety-four percent of cases of spondyolysis are accompanied by spondylolisthesis: since a stable connection of the posterior arch is lacking, a lumbar vertebra is more likely to shift forward.
Sub-acute Low Back Pain
Pain localised in the lumbar region of the vertebral column, lasting from seven days to seven weeks from onset.
Sub-chronic Low Back Pain
Pain localised in the lumbar region of the vertebral column, lasting from seven weeks to three months from onset.
Sway Back
Inversion of normal dorsal kyphosis.
Synostosis
Synostosis is the fusion of two or more vertebral bones where an intervertebral disc separating the vertebrae is lacking. The condition most commonly affects the cervical spine and is often asymptomatic: rigidity remains limited to the area in which the fusion spontaneously occurred.
T
Trauma to the vertebral column
Traumatic events (wounds or shocks) which cause more or less permanent damage to the vertebral column.
V
Vertebra
One of the bone segments making up the vertebral column. These bones are short, each with an upper articular surface (endplate) which interacts with the lower endplate of the vertebra above it to ‘nest’ together. The vertebrae are separated by ‘cushions’ of fibrocartilaginous material (the intervertebral discs).
Vertebral Column
(Also backbone, spine, spinal column) The vertebrae (segmented series of bones) which constitute the skeletal axis of the body, extending from the skull to the base of the trunk. The vertebral column is composed of 33 vertebrae divided into four different groups, each corresponding to one of four regions of the vertebral column: the cervical spine (7 cervical vertebrae), the thoracic spine (12 dorsal or thoracic vertebrae), the lumbar spine (5 lumbar vertebrae), and the sacrococcygeal region (sacrum and coccyx). The vertebrae are separated the one from the next by elastic ‘shock absorbers’ called intervertebral discs. The function of the vertebral column is to support the body and protect the spinal cord. Most of the movements of the body, as well as its stability, involve the vertebral column.
Vertebral Pain
Pain localised in the vertebral column.
W
‘Whiplash’
A range of injuries to the neck caused by rapid acceleration or deceleration with transfer of energy to the neck. It may be caused by motor vehicle accidents involving being hit from the rear or from the side, but may also be sustained ads a consequence of other types of accidents or during diving or contact sports. The impact can produce lesions to the bones and/or the soft tissues and can cause various clinical symptoms.
