Risk Factors

Risk factors are variables that are associated with an increased likelihood of developing a disease or infection. Also known as “determinants,” risk factors are not necessarily causal, meaning they definitively result in the development of the specific condition. Rather, they are correlational.

Some of the most common risk factors that are inspected in medical studies include:

• Age
• Gender
• Geographic location
• Genetic predisposition
• Ethnicity
• Diet
• Social Status
• Occupation
• Alcohol and/or tobacco consumption
• Level of stress
• Level of exercise
• Other diseases and conditions
• Other social determinants of health

Related to Spinal Conditions

As they relate to the development of spinal conditions, risk factors most often boil down to one specific issue: aging. The primary cause behind degenerative spine conditions such as bulging or herniated discs, spinal stenosis, spinal arthritis, bone spurs, and others is this unavoidable passing of time. Over the years, natural wear and tear on the spinal anatomy – bones, joints, discs, ligaments, etc. – leads to gradual deterioration. This can cause abnormalities – such as bone spurs or disc herniations – to develop, which can in turn compress nearby spinal nerves. This neural compression is the true culprit behind chronic back pain and other symptoms of these spine conditions – not the conditions themselves.

Treatment

Just because the primary risk factors for developing degenerative spine conditions are entirely unavoidable, as you simply can’t turn back the clock on the aging process, that doesn’t mean there aren’t treatment options available. Many patients are able to find relief through conservative, nonsurgical treatments like physical therapy, hot/cold therapy, pain medications, exercise, and others. However, if weeks or months of conservative treatment have failed to ease your chronic back pain, contact Laser Spine Institute. Our orthopedic experts utilize the latest in endoscopic technology to perform a variety of minimally invasive procedures. These safe, effective procedures are the alternative to open spine surgeries and have helped tens of thousands of patients find relief from chronic back and neck pain.