Tapes – Overstretched
The ligaments of the spine serve to provide stability and to slow down excessive movements. If they are overstretched, they lose their protective function towards the spinal cord. The spinal column can then become unstable.
It is possible that the vertebral bodies shift against each other. In the worst case, the instability can lead to damage to the spinal cord, as it is surrounded by the individual vertebrae. Overstretching of the ligaments of the spinal column also occurs with extreme jerky movements.
These can occur during a traffic accident or even a fall. Incorrect performance of exercises or in sports can also lead to overstretching of the ligaments of the spine. The overstretching of the ligaments often manifests itself in the form of back pain in the patient.
The pain is related to the time of the event. If the ligaments of the spinal column are overstretched, the patient should spare some time. In most cases, the pain subsides again after the sparing of the spine.
Inflammation of the ligaments
An inflammation can also affect the ligaments of the spine. However, this does not occur very often. One cause of inflammation of the ligaments can be an autoimmune disease.
This is the so-called ankylosing spondylitis. Another name for this is ankylosing spondylitis. The suffix -itis already contains the term inflammation.
It belongs to the group of inflammatory rheumatic diseases, which mainly affect the spine. The classic picture that emerges as the disease progresses is the increasing flexion of the spine. Bekhterev’s disease manifests itself by inflammation of vertebral joints, but also of the surrounding ligaments of the spine.
Over time, it leads to a complete stiffening of the spine with massive functional limitations. A further cause of inflammation of the ligaments of the spine can be advanced spondylodiscitis. In this case, the inflammation of the vertebral bodies and the intervertebral discs occurs first.However, if the inflammation is not immediately detected and treated, it can spread to the surrounding tissue and thus also affect the ligaments of the spine. Spondylodiscitis manifests itself through severe pain in the affected area of the back.
