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Back Bones Send a Painful Message
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Posted on: 11/30/1999
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Many things about back pain remain a mystery. Nerves have been found in and around the spine in the joints, the ligaments, and the outer covering of the disc. Until recently, nerves to the bones of the spine (the vertebrae) had not been identified.
Over the years, researchers have found nerves inside the bone marrow in the human spine. Animal studies showed nerve tissue in the vertebral bones of rats. It wasn't until 1998 that this same discovery was made in the human vertebrae.
Since then, a group of researchers have been able to remove nerve tissue in the human vertebrae, cut it into sections, and stain it. The stain makes it possible to see the tissue under a microscope. Once nerve cells are found, these are stained again to show substance P.
Substance P is a messenger in the nervous system. It sends pain signals. In this study, scientists found substance P in every sample of nerve tissue removed from the vertebral bones. This means that the bones of the spine can send pain messages.
The authors conclude that some patients may have back pain caused by the bone itself. How much back pain is caused by nerve tissue inside the bones is still unknown. Finding out more about these nerves may lead to new and better ways to treat back pain.
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References:
Christian Fras, MD, et al. Substance-P Containing Nerves Within the Human Vertebral Body: An Immunohistochemical Study of the Basivertebral Nerve. In The Spine Journal. January/February 2003. Vol. 3. No. 1. Pp. 63-67.
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