Back and Neck Conditions

At Atlantic Spine Center, we believe it is essential for our patients to have access to accurate educational resources so that they can fully understand their conditions and all of the treatment options available to them. We are committed to providing our patients with most current medical information on spine conditions so that they can make their own informed decisions.

On each of our spine condition pages, ASC provides a wealth of information on everything from symptoms and causes to conservative and surgical treatment options. Back and neck conditions are complex problems, and a thorough understanding of the condition can help you determine what treatment is best for you to end your pain.

• Bulging Disc A bulging disc is quite common, and usually remains undetected until the disc bulge comes in contact with adjacent nerves leading to pain and other symptoms.
• Degenerative Disc Disease Degenerative disc disease is not truly a disease, but more a chain of events that naturally occur as we age. There is no avoiding degenerative disc disease, but you may slow its progress.
• Disc Tear As the outer shell of your disc begins to toughen or dry up, a painful crack or tear could happen. Learn what a disc tear is, and how you can recover from it.
• Failed Back & Neck Surgery There are many reasons why back or neck surgery may provide lackluster results. Bad diagnosis, unskilled surgeon, or improper healing; which is it?
• Facet Joint Syndrome Facet joint syndrome refers to the degeneration and arthritic changes that occur in your facet joints. Age and daily wear and tear are the most common culprits.
• Foraminal Stenosis Foraminal stenosis describes the narrowing of the foramen. As the foramen narrows, exiting nerves can become compressed causing pain and other symptoms.
• Herniated Disc Often interchanged with other terms such as slipped disc, bulging disc, or torn disc, a herniated disc refers to the inner portion of the disc breaking through the outer layer.
• Pinched Nerve A pinched nerve happens when debris or inflammation compresses a nerve. Depending on where the nerve is pinched will help determine how treatment is approached.
• Radiculitis Radiculitis is a condition that refers to pain and other symptoms caused by nerve irritation or damage. The pain and symptoms are dependent on which nerve is affected.
• Sciatica Sciatica is a term that refers to the condition that develops when the sciatic nerve is irritated or compressed by another condition. Symptoms can be quite painful and debilitating.
• Spinal Bone Spurs Spinal bone spurs are growths that your body has made to help compensate in joint instability caused by arthritis and other conditions. Most people have them but are unaware until they become problematic.
• Spinal Stenosis Spinal stenosis is a condition that refers to the narrowing of your spinal canal and the compression of either your spinal cord, or nerves.
• Spondylolisthesis Spondylolisthesis is a condition where one or more vertebrae in your spine has slipped forward out of position. The further the slippage the higher the grade of spondylolisthesis will be.
• Radiculopathy Radiculopathy refers to an injury to the nerve or nerve root caused by nerve compression or irritation. Radiculopathy in the spine can affect both the neck and lower back.