Dorsalgia is a group of disorders characterized by mild to moderate or intense pain that emerges from muscles nerves or joints associated with spine. The pain can be constant or intermittent, localized or diffuse. It may have stinging or burning characteristics. If it is connected to cervical bone then this pain may transmit to extremities with sensation of numbness.
What is Dorsalgia
Dorsalgia is a group of disorders characterized by mild to moderate or intense pain that emerges from muscles nerves or joints associated with spine. The pain can be constant or intermittent, localized or diffuse. It may have stinging or burning characteristics. If it is connected to cervical bone then this pain may transmit to extremities with sensation of numbness.
Dorsalgia Definition
Dorsalgia can be defined as stinging or burning like sensation of pain in back or spine that radiates from spinal nerves, vertebral column, spinal muscles or other anatomical structures associated with spinal column.
Dorsalgia ICD 10
ICD or International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) is a medical nomenclature or system used by health care professionals to bifurcate and assign code to each medical term either it is related to diagnosis, treatment, symptoms, preventions etc. Similarly dorsalgia is also included in this system of ICD 10. These code include
M54
Dorsalgia
M54.8
Other dorsalgia
M54.80
Other dorsalgia, multiple sites in spine
M54.81
Other dorsalgia, occipito-atlanto-axial region
M54.82
Other dorsalgia, cervical region
M54.83
Other dorsalgia, cervicothoracic region
M54.84
Other dorsalgia, thoracic region
M54.85
Other dorsalgia, thoracolumbar region
M54.86
Other dorsalgia, lumbar region
M54.87
Other dorsalgia, lumbosacral region
M54.88
Other dorsalgia, sacral and sacrococcygeal region
M54.89
Other dorsalgia, site unspecified
M54.9
Dorsalgia, unspecified
M54.90
Dorsalgia, unspecified, multiple sites in spine
M54.91
Dorsalgia, unspecified, occipito-atlanto-axial region
M54.92
Dorsalgia, unspecified, cervical region
M54.93
Dorsalgia, unspecified, cervicothoracic region
M54.94
Dorsalgia, unspecified, thoracic region
M54.95
Dorsalgia, unspecified, thoracolumbar region
M54.96
Dorsalgia, unspecified, lumbar region
M54.97
Dorsalgia, unspecified, lumbosacral region
M54.98
Dorsalgia, unspecified, sacral and sacrococcygeal region
M54.99
Dorsalgia, unspecified, site unspecified
Dorsalgia Symptoms
Clinically dorsalgia symptoms may variate from patient to patient depending upon the underlying cause. However, some commonly observed symptoms of dorsalgia stinging or burning like pain, difficulty in changing posture, difficulty in bending upper body, intense pain in case of pinched nerve, difficulty in walking without support etc.
Dorsalgia Causes
There are several common causes of low back and leg pain e.g for adults under age 50, these include disc herniation and degenerative disc disease, in adults over 50 years.
Dorsalgia Types
Dorsalgia multiple sites in spine
This kind of dorsalgia belongs to vertebral column and inside the vertebral column.
Dorsalgia occipito-atlanto-axial region
This kind of dorsalgia belongs to neck area because atlas and axis in particular work with the ligaments to move the neck.
Dorsalgia cervical region
This is another form of neck dorsalgia that is confined to cervical bone and also termed as cervicalgia.
Dorsalgia cervicothoracic region
When dorsalgia is confined to both thoracic and cervical region then it is known as cervicothoracic dorsalgia.
Dorsalgia thoracic region
This kind of dorsalgia is only confined to thoracic region and known as thoracic dorsalgia.
Dorsalgia thoracolumbar region
It involves two regions thoracic and lumbar region that's why it is known as thoracolumbar region.
Dorsalgia lumbar region
This kind of dorsalgia is only confined to lumbar region or lower portion of vertebral column and known as thoracic dorsalgia.
Dorsalgia lumbosacral region
Dorsalgia originating from lumbar and sacral region is know as lumbosacral dorsalgia.
Dorsalgia sacral and sacrococcygeal region
Dorsalgia that originates from sacral region and coccyx or tailbone is termed as sacrococcygeal dorsalgia.
Dorsalgia unspecified
According to international classification of diseases that does not classified elsewhere should be placed into dorsalgia unspecified.
Dorsalgia Treatment
There are number of treatment options available for dorsalgia treatment but proper diagnosis of disease makes more easy to pick best available treatment option.
Replacement by artificial disc
This kind of surgery has recently been used for treatment of low back pain caused by a damaged spinal disc. This surgery is now becoming more common.
Discectomy / microdiscectomy
Microdisectomy is usually used to treat pain (especially one that radiates to arms or legs) caused by a herniated disc.
Quifoplastia / Vertebroplasty
Quifoplasty or vertebroplasty is a surgical procedure procedure used to treat pain arising from osteoporotic compression fractures.
Stimulation of the spinal column
In this kind of treatment an electrical device is used to block the pain signals to the brain.
Spinal fusion
Spinal fusion is used to treat chronic or acute kind of dorsalgia caused by degenerative disc disease, spondylolisthesis or deformities caused by scoliosis .
Life style Management
The main goals in the treatment of dorsalgia are:
- Achieve maximum reduction in pain intensity as quickly as possible
- Restore the patient to his normal activities
- Help you deal with residual pain
- Help you with the side effects of therapy
- To facilitate the patient's passage through legal and socioeconomic impediments to their recovery.
Other Treatment Options
Other treatment options include physiotherapy, massage with hot and cold pack, hot water bath , spine based exercises etc.
Dorsalgia Pictures