Understanding Herniated Discs: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment Options

Herniated discs, also called slipped discs, are a prevalent health issue that can cause significant discomfort and disability. This condition happens when the soft center of your spinal disc slips out of its tougher exterior casing. Furthermore, a herniated disc can lead to pain, numbness, or weakness, often affecting one side of the body and potentially causing sciatica involving the lumbar spine.

Table of Contents

An overview of the condition

A herniated disc is a multifaceted condition that can arise from various factors. The spine’s natural lordosis, or forward convexity, coupled with the strain from repetitive movements or poor posture, can increase the risk of disc herniation. The most commonly affected areas are the lumbar vertebrae L4-L5 and L5-S1, which bear the brunt of the body’s weight and are thus more susceptible to injury.

Symptoms and diagnosis

Symptoms of a herniated disc can vary widely, from intense pain radiating down the leg or arm to subtle signs like a mild backache. In some situations, patients may experience no symptoms at all. Here are common indicators of herniated discs:

Numbness or tingling: This can occur when a herniated disc compresses the spinal cord or adjacent nerves that leave the spinal canal. The feelings may spread outwardly along the nerve roots to the arms and legs.
Muscle weakness: When a herniated disc pushes on a nerve, muscle strength may be diminished, causing difficulty walking.
Pain: This generally starts in the back and might spread to the arms or legs. Some people report the discomfort as acute or burning.

Conversely, diagnosis involves taking a medical history, performing a physical examination to check for back soreness, and performing various other tests to assess reflexes, muscular strength, walking ability, sensibility to light touches, pinpricks, and vibration. These tests and procedures include X-ray, Nerve conduction velocity (NCV), MRI, or CT scan.

Treatment approaches

Treatment for herniated discs often begins conservatively, with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) to alleviate pain and reduce inflammation. Physical therapy, exercise, and sometimes epidural steroid injections are also common non-surgical treatments. In serious situations, surgery may be considered to remove the herniated material and relieve pressure on your nerves. The most frequent surgical methods used to treat herniated discs are:

Microdiscectomy: This surgery is often used for less severe instances. Surgeons remove parts of the disc to relieve pressure on the afflicted nerves.
Artificial Disc Replacement: This surgery involves specialists removing and replacing your whole disc with an artificial one. This replicates the movement of the natural discs.
Fusion: Surgeons extract the herniated disc and fuse the vertebrae on either side of it, resulting in one longer vertebra.

Prevention and management

Preventing herniated discs involves maintaining good posture, regular exercise to strengthen the core muscles supporting the spine, and practicing proper lifting techniques. For those already dealing with a herniated disc, it’s crucial to follow a treatment plan tailored to their specific needs and to avoid activities that may worsen the condition.

Bottom line

Herniated discs often heal on their own with conservative therapy and patience. The body’s natural healing mechanisms and adequate treatment and lifestyle changes can help improve symptoms and mend discs. Don’t suffer from herniated discs any longer! Contact Performance Pain and Sports Medicine today to set up a consultation with one of the board-certified physicians.