Sciatica Glossary of Terms

1. Sciatica Slideshow Pictures
2. Back Pain Myths & Facts Pictures
3. Nerve Pain Slideshow

Abscess: A local accumulation of pus anywhere in the body. The following are some example...

Acetaminophen: A nonaspirin pain reliever or analgesic. Acetaminophen may be given alone t...

Acupuncture: The practice of inserting needles into the body to reduce pain or induce anes...

Aging: The process of becoming older, a process that is genetically determined and environ...

Anemia: The condition of having a lower-than-normal number of red blood cells or quantity ...

Aspirin: Once the Bayer trademark for acetylsalicylic acid, now the common name for this a...

Back pain: Pain felt in the low or upper back. Causes of pain in the low and upper back in...

Backbone: The spine. A flexible row of bones stretching from the base of the skull to the...

Bacteria: Single-celled microorganisms that can exist either as independent (free-living) ...

Bladder: A hollow organ in the lower abdomen that stores urine. The kidneys filter waste f...

Blood clot: A mass of coagulated blood. A blood clot can block a major blood vessel, causi...

Blood count: The calculated number of white or red blood cells (WBCs or RBCs) in a cubic m...

Blood in the urine: Blood that appears in the urine. Also known as hematuria. Gross hematu...

Boil: A skin abscess that forms at a hair follicle infected with pus-forming bacteria. The...

Bone scan: A nuclear medicine technique for creating images of bones on a computer screen ...

Botox: A highly purified preparation of botulinum toxin A, a toxin produced by the bacteri...

Botulinum toxin: A toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum that is th...

Bowel: The small and large intestine.

Cancer: An abnormal growth of cells which tend to proliferate in an uncontrolled way and, ...

Cauda equina: A bundle of spinal nerve roots that arise from the end of the spinal cord. T...

Cauda equina syndrome: Impairment of the nerves in the cauda equina, characterized by dull...

CBC: A commonly used abbreviation in medicine that stands for complete blood count, a set...

Chest: The area of the body located between the neck and the abdomen. The chest contains t...

Chills: feelings of coldness accompanied by shivering. Chills may develop after exposure t...

Chronic: In medicine, lasting a long time. A chronic condition is one that lasts 3 months ...

Complete blood count: A set values of the cellular (formed elements) of blood. These meas...

Computerized tomography: Pictures of structures within the body created by a computer that...

Crutch: A wooden or metal vertical prop that helps support a disabled person while he or s...

Diagnosis: 1 The nature of a disease; the identification of an illness. 2 A ...

Disc: Shortened terminology for an intervertebral disc, a disk-shaped piece of specialized...

Emergency department: The department of a hospital responsible for the provision of medica...

Extremity: An uttermost part of the body, such as a hand or a foot.

Fever: Although a fever technically is any body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degr...

Herniated disc: Rupturing of the tissue that separates the vertebral bones of the spinal c...

Hip pain: Hip pain is the sensation of discomfort in or around the hip joint, where the up...

HIV: Acronym for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, the cause of AIDS (acquired immunodefi...

Ibuprofen: A nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that is commonly used to treat pa...

Infection: The invasion and multiplication of microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, an...

Inflammation: A localized reaction that produces redness, warmth, swelling, and pain as a ...

Injury: Harm or hurt. To harm, hurt, or wound. The word injure may be in physical or emot...

Joint: The area where two bones are attached for the purpose of permitting body parts to m...

Kidney: One of a pair of organs located in the right and left side of the abdomen. The kid...

Kidney stone: A stone in the kidney or a stone that originates in the kidney but has passe...

Knee: The knee is a joint which has three parts. The thigh bone (the femur) meets the lar...

Laboratory: A place for doing tests and research procedures, and for preparing chemicals a...

Leg: In popular usage, the part of the body from the top of the thigh down to the foot, an...

Low back pain: Pain in the lower back area that can relate to problems with the lumbar spi...

Lumbar: Referring to the five lumbar vertebrae, the disks below them, and the correspondin...

Magnetic resonance imaging: A procedure that uses magnetism, radio waves, and a computer t...

Medical history: 1. In clinical medicine, the patient's past and present which may ...

Morphine: A powerful narcotic agent that has strong analgesic (pain relief) action and oth...

MRI: Magnetic resonance imaging.

Muscle: Muscle is the tissue of the body which primarily functions as a source of power. T...

Narcotic: 1. A drug that causes insensibility or stupor. A narcotic induces narcosi...

Nerve: A bundle of fibers that uses electrical and chemical signals to transmit sensory an...

Nucleus: 1) In cell biology, the structure that houses the chromosomes. 2) In neuroanato...

Onset: In medicine, the first appearance of the signs or symptoms of an illness as, for ex...

Osteoarthritis: A type of arthritis caused by inflammation, breakdown, and eventual loss ...

Osteoporosis: Thinning of the bones, with reduction in bone mass, due to depletion of calc...

Pain: An unpleasant sensation that can range from mild, localized discomfort to agony. Pa...

Pharmacy: A location where prescription medications are sold. A pharmacy is constantly sup...

Physical therapy: A branch of rehabilitative health that uses specially designed exercises...

Piriformis muscle: A muscle that begins at the front surface of the sacrum (the V-shaped b...

Piriformis syndrome: Irritation of the sciatic nerve that is caused by compression of the ...

Pregnancy: The state of carrying a developing embryo or fetus within the female body. Thi...

Prognosis: The forecast of the probable outcome or course of a disease; the patient's chan...

Pus: A thick, whitish-yellow fluid that results from the accumulation of white blood cells...

Scan: As a noun, the data or image obtained from the examination of organs or regions of...

Sciatic nerve: The largest nerve in the body, the sciatic nerve begins from nerve roots in...

Sciatica: Pain that results from irritation of the sciatic nerve and typically radiates fr...

Sedimentation rate: A blood test that detects and monitors inflammation in the body. Abbre...

Shock: In medicine, a critical condition that is brought on by a sudden drop in blood flow...

Sleep: The body's rest cycle.

Slipped disc: Rupturing of the tissue that separates the vertebral bones of the spinal col...

Sore: 1. (adjective) A popular term for painful, such as a sore throat. 2. (...

Spinal cord: The major column of nerve tissue that is connected to the brain and lies with...

Spinal stenosis: Narrowing of the spinal canal. Spinal stenosis is most commonly caused by...

Spondylolisthesis: Forward movement of one vertebra in relationship to an adjacent vertebr...

Stenosis: A narrowing. For example, aortic stenosis is a narrowing of the aortic valve in ...

Surgery: The branch of medicine that employs operations in the treatment of disease or inj...

Symptom: Any subjective evidence of disease. In contrast, a sign is objective. Blood comin...

Syndrome: A combination of symptoms and signs that together represent a disease process.

Temple: The area just behind and to the side of the forehead and the eye, above the side o...

Therapy: The treatment of disease. Therapy is synonymous with treatment.

Tomography: The process for generating a tomogram, a two-dimensional image of a slice or s...

Toxin: A poison produced by certain animals, plants, or bacteria.

Tumor: An abnormal mass of tissue. Tumors are a classic sign of inflammation, and can be ...

Tylenol: See: Acetaminophen.

Urinalysis: A test that is done in order to analyze urine. Because toxins and excess fluid...

Urine: Liquid waste produced by the kidneys. Urine is a clear, transparent fluid that norm...

X-ray: High-energy radiation with waves shorter than those of visible light. X-ray is used...