Conditions

Shingles is a viral infection caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that is responsible for chickenpox, a classic childhood scourge. After chickenpox has cleared, the varicella-zoster virus can lie dormant in nerves near the spinal cord and brain, ultimately re-emerging years later in adulthood as shingles.

Back pain affects up to 80% of Americans at one point or another in their lifetime and it can be caused by muscle strains, bone and disc issues, arthritis, nerve damage or fractures. Some common examples of spine conditions are spinal stenosis, cervical dystonia, herniated or bulging discs, sciatica, and degenerative disc disease.

Arthritis literally means “inflammation of the joint” and it can be present in almost every part of the body, from the shoulder all the way down to the smallest joint of the toe. Joints contain intricate systems of cartilage, bone, muscle and connective tissue, all of which can gradually weaken over time or be damaged by acute injury.

Headaches are classified into two mains groups: primary headaches, which are caused by direct damage to the nerves in the head, and secondary headaches, which are caused by damage in other areas of the body or by traumatic injury or illness.

The most common cause of a herniated disc is disc degeneration, the gradual wear-and-tear on the spinal column that comes with aging. Vertebral discs are composed of up to 80%, but aging can cause discs to lose some of this natural water content, making them less pliable and more susceptible to damage.