Axial Pain
Pain centered in the spine itself.
Pain felt in the midline of the back or neck — in the spine itself — rather than pain that travels down an arm or leg. Vertebrogenic pain is typically a kind of axial low back pain.
Glossary of Spine Terms
Spine care has its own vocabulary. These plain-language definitions explain the terms you may hear — each one links to the chapter where it is taught in more depth.
A
B
Basivertebral Nerve
A nerve inside the vertebral body.
A nerve that runs inside the vertebral body. When the endplates become irritated, this nerve can carry pain signals from inside the bone. It is the nerve pathway that Basivertebral Nerve Ablation (BVNA) is designed to address.
C
Conservative Care
Non-surgical treatment tried first.
Non-surgical treatments often tried first for back pain — such as physical therapy, medication, activity changes, or injections. How a person responds to conservative care is one part of a full evaluation.
D
Disc Degeneration
Age-related changes in a spinal disc.
Gradual changes in an intervertebral disc, often related to age and wear. As a disc loses height and cushioning, more stress may be passed to the endplates. Disc changes are common and do not, by themselves, mean a person will have pain.
F
Facet Joint
A small joint at the back of the spine.
One of the paired joints at the back of the spine that guide and limit movement between vertebrae. Arthritis in these joints is one of several possible sources of back pain a clinician may consider.
Fluoroscopy
Real-time X-ray imaging.
A form of live X-ray that lets a physician see the spine in real time during a minimally invasive procedure, helping guide instruments accurately.
Foraminal Stenosis
Narrowing where a nerve root exits.
Narrowing of the small openings (foramina) where nerve roots leave the spine. When narrowing presses on a nerve root, it can cause pain that travels into an arm or leg — different from axial pain.
I
Intervertebral Disc
The cushion between two vertebrae.
The soft, shock-absorbing cushion that sits between two vertebrae. Discs help absorb forces as the spine moves.
M
Minimally Invasive
Done through a very small access point.
A procedure performed through a very small access point rather than a large open incision, typically using image guidance. BVNA is a minimally invasive procedure.
Modic Changes
Endplate findings seen on MRI.
Changes near the vertebral endplates that can be seen on an MRI. Type 1 and Type 2 are two patterns radiologists may describe. In some patients they may be associated with vertebrogenic pain, but they are only one part of a complete evaluation — many people have them without pain.
MRI (T1 / T2 Weighting)
Two ways of reading an MRI scan.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging makes detailed pictures of the spine without X-rays. Scans are read in different 'weightings' — T1 and T2 — that make tissues look lighter or darker in different ways, helping radiologists describe findings such as Modic changes.
N
Neuromodulation
Changing how nerves carry signals.
A general term for treatments that change how nerves carry signals. BVNA works by interrupting the basivertebral nerve pathway so it can no longer carry pain signals from inside the vertebral body.
R
Radiofrequency Ablation
Using heat energy to interrupt a nerve.
A technique that uses radiofrequency energy to create heat at a precise point, interrupting a nerve's ability to carry pain signals. BVNA uses radiofrequency energy to treat the basivertebral nerve.
S
Sacroiliac Joint
The joint between spine and pelvis.
The joint where the base of the spine meets the pelvis. Pain involving this joint is one of several possible contributors to low back pain that a clinician may weigh.
Spinal Stenosis
Narrowing of spaces within the spine.
Narrowing of the spaces inside the spine, which can place pressure on the spinal cord or nerves. It is a distinct condition from vertebrogenic pain, though both can affect the low back.
V
Vertebral Body
The main block-shaped part of a vertebra.
The large, block-shaped front part of a vertebra that bears weight. The basivertebral nerve runs inside it, and the endplates form its top and bottom surfaces.
Vertebral Endplate
The bone surface facing the disc.
The thin layer of bone at the top and bottom of each vertebral body — the surface that faces the disc. When endplates become irritated, they may contribute to vertebrogenic pain.
Vertebrogenic Pain
Pain generated from the vertebra itself.
A type of chronic low back pain thought to arise from the vertebral endplates and the basivertebral nerve inside the bone — as opposed to pain from a muscle, joint, or pinched nerve. It is identified through a full evaluation, not an MRI alone.
Continue Your Learning
See these terms in context.