What is piriformis syndrome? Sometimes the piriformis muscle can become irritated, swollen, and tight due to injury and twitching. It can then press upon the nearby sciatic nerve. The pyriformis syndrome is a painful neuromuscular condition that develops due to abnormal tightening of the pyriformis muscle situated near the hip joint. The tight muscle irritates...
What is upper back pain? Causes of upper back pain include long periods of sitting, injury, or strain accidents. Upper back pain causes many people discomfort and frustration. But what causes it? Your back includes a complex system of vertebrae, disks, muscles, nerves, and ligaments. If this area is injured or irritated, it may lead...
What is a lumbar facetectomy? A lumbar facetectomy is the removal of the facet joints from one or more vertebrae in the lower back. A lumbar facetectomy is a surgical procedure to relieve the pressure on the nerve roots that pass close to the facet joints of the lumbar spine in the low back. During...
What is a sugar-tong forearm splint? The main purpose of sugar-tong splinting is to immobilize the joints and bones above and below the fracture site. A sugar-tong forearm splint is a long U-shaped splint that immobilizes the injured forearm or wrist and prevents forearm rotation and wrist motion. They heal the fractured bones by keeping...
What is the left side pain above the hip? There are a variety of reasons that you might be experiencing left side pain above your hip. The problem could be the result of an injury that might heal on its own. It could also be an indicator of an undiagnosed illness. People typically experience pains...
What is a subacromial space? Injecting corticosteroids into the subacromial space is one method to treat inflammation and pain. Injections can reduce pain and inflammation and restore the mobility of shoulder joints. A subacromial space is the area below the top of the shoulder blade (acromion) and above the rotator cuff tendons present on the...
What is pelvic pain? Causes of pelvic pain in men include bicycle riding, past prostatitis infections, chemical irritation, sexual abuse, pelvic floor muscle problems, prostate irritation from urine backup, bacteria that are not common, and psychological stress. There are a few different forms of male pelvic pain. Prostatitis (prostate inflammation), chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS),...
What is MS? The early symptoms of MS include numbness, and pins and needles sensation. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease in which a person’s immune system attacks the cells of their brain and spinal cord. The exact cause of MS is unknown. It is an autoimmune disease — a condition in which the body’s...
What is ibuprofen? Ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil, Genpril, Midol) is a medication that belongs to a class of drugs called nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs. Side effects of NSAIDs include diarrhea, constipation, dizziness, bloating, gas, ringing in the ears, nausea, anxiety, vomiting, fluid retention, swelling and skin peeling and rashes. Ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil, Genpril, Midol) is...
What is percutaneous vertebroplasty? Percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) is a procedure used to treat and stabilize vertebral (spinal) fractures. The process involves using a type of imaging called fluoroscopy, which provides X-rays in real time, to enable a doctor to inject a concrete-like fast-setting polymer into the damaged vertebrae. A procedure called kyphoplasty often accompanies vertebroplasty....