UCSF neurologist Dr. Shirvalkar studies nerve-to-brain connections to find new ways to treat chronic back pain.

Medically reviewed by Jennifer Steinhoff, MD A herniated disc can pinch a nerve, which causes pain, numbness, or weakness in your lower back and legs.Diagnosing a pinched nerve involves your medical ...

DEAR DR. ROACH: I suffered a lower back injury in 2001, with crushed and bulging discs in the L2, L3, L4 and L5 vertebras. After over a year of physical therapy and drugs, my pain doctor tried an ...

What do chronic migraines, back pain, and irritable bowel syndrome have in common? These seemingly unrelated conditions share a common underlying problem—sensitization of the nervous system. When I ...

Whether it's a dull, underlying ache in your spine or a piercing stab, chronic back pain affects roughly one in four Americans. UC San Francisco's Prasad Shirvalkar, MD, Ph.D., neurologist and pain ...