Common causes of Cervical, Thoracic and Lumbar pain:

Injury or Trauma, which causes fractures to the neck are beyond the scope of this site

Whiplash is an injury which is commonly due to a car crash and causes neck pain due to the soft tissue in the spine being stretched and strained suddenly and forcefully. This mainly affects the Cervical or Thoracic region.

Mechanical & Muscular neck pain is very common. The causes include minor injuries or sprains to the muscles or ligaments in the any part of the back. Poor posture is also a common cause. For example, neck and thoracic pain is more common in people who spend their working day at a desk with a ¡®bent forward¡¯ posture, whereas incorrect lifting techniques tend to affect the lumbar spine. Also sports injuries can often cause muscle sprain and spasm. Often the exact cause or origin of the pain is not known

Acute primary torticollis, is sometimes called ¡®wry neck¡¯. This is when the head is twisted to one side and it is very painful to move the head/neck into another position. Most cases happen while sleeping or, for example, reaching into the back seat from the front of the car. When this happens one or more muscles on one side of the neck go into spasm. Usually the spasm should ease over a few days.

Degeneration, also known as ¡®wear & tear¡¯ happens to the spinal bones and the discs and can affect any part of the spine.

Radiculopathy occurs when a nerve root is pressed on, or is injured as it comes out from the spinal cord. Common causes are disc problems such as disc bulge and prolapses commonly known as slipped disc. Symptoms depend on the area involved but will usually involve referred pain, pins & needles, numbness, and weakness in parts of the limb or limbs supplied by the nerve.

Facet Joint problems, can affect any part of the spine, although they more commonly occur in the cervical spine. These small spinal joints can become inflamed and cause pain in the affected area. This pain is often associated with cracking or clicking of the facet joints.

Slipped Disc, although this is a term which is commonly used, the disc does not actually slip but bulges out towards the spinal cord. This occurs when the soft part of the disc bulges through the circle of connective tissue. A slipped disc can occur in any area of the spine. This prolapse may press on the spinal cord or the nerve roots; however, many people have a disc bulge without spinal cord or nerve root involvement. If the disc bulge does push on the spinal cord or nerve roots you will experience pain or paralysis radiating to the arms or legs depending upon the site of the bulge. If you experience any of these symptoms, you must consult your Doctor, who will advise you of the best course of treatment.

Failed Back Surgery is a term normally used for people with chronic spinal and nerve root pain which remains after back surgery has been performed. This group of people often have not obtained adequate or any relief from the surgical intervention and many feel that the intervention has made their condition worse.