Spine Injuries and Disorders—Radiation Exposure

Radiation is energy that travels in the form of waves or high-speed particles. It occurs naturally in sunlight. Man-made radiation is used in X-rays, nuclear weapons, nuclear power plants and cancer treatment.

If you are exposed to small amounts of radiation over a long time, it raises your risk of cancer. It can also cause mutations in your genes, which you could pass on to any children you have after the exposure. A lot of radiation over a short period, such as from a radiation emergency, can cause burns or radiation sickness. Symptoms of radiation sickness include nausea, weakness, hair loss, skin burns and reduced organ function. If the exposure is large enough, it can cause premature aging or even death. You may be able to take medicine to reduce the radioactive material in your body.

Environmental Protection Agency

• Radiation sickness (Medical Encyclopedia)

Your backbone, or spine, is made up of 26 bone discs called vertebrae. The vertebrae protect your spinal cord and allow you to stand and bend. A number of problems can change the structure of the spine or damage the vertebrae and surrounding tissue. They include

• Infections
• Injuries
• Tumors
• Conditions, such as ankylosing spondylitis and scoliosis
• Bone changes that come with age, such as spinal stenosis and herniated disks

Spinal diseases often cause pain when bone changes put pressure on the spinal cord or nerves. They can also limit movement. Treatments differ by disease, but sometimes they include back braces and surgery.

• Compression fractures of the back (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Foraminotomy (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Kyphosis (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Laminectomy (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Lordosis (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Spinal fusion (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Spine surgery – discharge (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Spondylolisthesis (Medical Encyclopedia)