Word: spined
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...graceful yet extremely strong doubleS shape, this natural architectural masterpiece consists of 33 building blocks, called vertebrae. So artfully are they sculpted that they fit neatly into one another. An intricate system of muscles, tendons and ligaments keeps the column from collapsing. The lower portion of the spine, known as the lumbosacral region, is the site of the pain that bothers most people. It can withstand pressures of hundreds of pounds. Yet the entire column is so flexible that it can be bent to form two-thirds of a circle...
...parts are in delicate balance; any damage in one area can disrupt the whole complex machinery. Sometimes the trouble starts in youth. If one leg, for instance, grows significantly longer (more than half an inch) than the other-a not infrequent occurrence -it puts unequal pressures on the spine. If certain of the vertebrae have failed to form properly, the result may be a pronounced sideways curve called scoliosis, a condition that causes disability and pain. Tumors can grow in the confined regions of the spinal column, pressing or pinching nerves. In cases of rheumatoid arthritis, the cushioning discs that...
...herniated, or ruptured. Its gelatinous central region bulges out, sometimes even breaking through its surrounding wall of ligaments. The discs most likely to rupture are the one separating the two lowest lumbar vertebrae and the one separating the last lumbar from the sacrum, the next lowest region of the spine. The dislocated material often pushes against the spinal nerves, which are extremely sensitive to any pressure. The slightest movement, even a laugh, can trigger an excruciating wave of pain...
When all the prodding and poking are done, the patient's spine will be Xrayed. If this does not reveal the exact nature of the problem, the physician may turn to a more complex radiological examination...
...severe chronic pain, a highly sophisticated variant of such stimulators can be embedded in the body itself. The technique has been used since 1974 by Neurosurgeon Yoshio Ho-sobuchi of the University of California in San Francisco. He implants one to three hair-thin electrodes in the brain or spine; these wires lead to a small radio-activated electrical source placed just under the skin of the chest. To get relief from pain, the patient presses a small radio transmitter against the chest. The transmitter's signal activates the little power plant, which promptly shoots a tiny electrical current...