Ivan Gogolák
After respiratory disorders, painful spine disorders are the second most frequent reason people visit their doctor and in persons over 45 years of age, they are the leading cause of disability. They affect males and females equally and they present with pain, most frequently between 30 and 50 years of age. The most frequent cause of painful spine disorders are benign muscular-ligament injuries, degenerative changes of the intervertebral discs or facet joints, intervertebral disc herniation and stenosis of the spinal canal. It is important to identify cases requiring immediate spine operations and adequate late surgical treatment. Effective treatment of vertebrogenic pain focuses on peripheral and central mechanisms of neuropathic pain and it has the character of rational polypharmacotherapy. Treatment and prevention of spine disorders must include adequate therapeutic rehabilitation interventions.