When it comes to back pain, everyone experiences it at some point in their lives. No one knows this better than a Vacaville Chiropractor. Back pain normally happens as a result of a simple muscular strain or getting bruised after a fall. However, there are also severe cases where back pain can stem from a medical disorder of the spine.

Back and spine infections are mostly caused by a disease, though it can also develop after the cervical spine (cartilage, disk, vertebra, and surrounding soft tissue) has been injured.

Types of spinal infections in Vacaville

• Discitis - This is an uncommon infection and it can happen on its own or after surgery. The symptoms include pain when moving the spine, radiating pain in several parts of the body, and chills and fevers.
• Meningitis - This infection can cause swelling in the tissues around the brain and spine. It can spread rapidly and if left untreated, it can cause severe complications.
• Vertebral osteomyelitis - It happens mostly in the lumbar spine where it can cause fever, muscle spasms, weight loss, pain in the arm or leg, and problems with walking or using your hands.
• Spinal cord abscess - This infection happens internally in the spine and is usually rare. Its symptoms can cause back pain, fever, and a decline in spine function.
• Spinal subdural empyema - This is another rare infection and it happens due to an infection in another area. The symptoms can cause fever and arm or leg pain.
• Spinal epidural abscess - It happens mostly in the lumbar region. This infection can cause weakness, back pain, skin boils, arm or leg pain, spine tenderness, and abdominal, bladder, and bladder issues.

How are spinal infections diagnosed?

An early diagnosis of your spinal problems can help avoid serious morbidity from happening. Diagnosis may take an average of 1 month and can last for up to 6 months, which may impede an effective and timely treatment. Some patients won't seek medical attention immediately not until their symptoms have developed into something severe or debilitating.

• Laboratory tests - Laboratory tests are helpful in diagnosing a spinal infection. It requires blood tests for erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP) and acute-phase protein levels. ESR and CRP tests are good indicators in finding out any inflammations in the body. Inflammation is the body's normal response when there is an infection and it can be used to assess if there is an infection and if a treatment is effective. However, these tests are limited, and other diagnostic tools may be needed.
• Imaging tools - To pinpoint the extent and location of a lesion, then imaging studies are necessary. There are different choices for imaging techniques, wherein it depends on the location of the infection.
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) - MRI is recognized as the gold standard in identifying spinal infection. This diagnostic test can help visualize the soft tissues including the nerves, paraspinal muscles, and spinal cord, as well as the adjacent soft tissues surrounding the spinal column. An enhancement of the disc space, epidural space, or vertebral body is a major sign of an infection. However, other pathologies like tumors or inflammation must be ruled out.
• Computed Tomography Scan (CT Scan) - A CT scan is effective in assessing the severity of bone destruction. Vertebral osteomyelitis can damage the vertebral body and cause spinal deformity. The level of spinal instability can be determined through an assessment of the degree of bone destruction and it can also help in deciding whether surgical or non-surgical options should be used.

So, before your spinal condition gets any worse, always have a general checkup with your local chiropractor. Dr. Alex Tam of Vacaville welcomes patients who require non-invasive treatment for their spine and just wants to improve their overall health. You can go check out more of his services at his top chiropractic and holistic clinic in the Solano county.