Spine and Spinal Disorders

Spasticity, Spinal Pain, and Spinal Infection

Spasticity, or the uncontrollable tightening or contracting of the muscles, is typical of those who have had spinal cord injuries. Spinal pain can radiate from the buttock into the leg and occasionally into the foot and is caused by pressure on one or more of the nerves that make up the sciatic nerve. Usually, only one side—the left or right—is impacted. Many people report this discomfort as being electric shock-like and acute. Infections of the spine can also include spinal epidural abscess, which appears in the area around the dura (the tissue that surrounds the spinal cord and nerve root).