Tumors of the spinal cord or near the sciatic or femoral plexus can cause neural compression and clinical signs similar to those of disc herniation. Such tumors are usually misdiagnosed as discal herniation and appropriate treatment is delayed.
Herniated discs are often misdiagnosed as piriformis syndrome, a muscular disorder in the buttocks, mild sciatica, degenerative disc disease, and osteoarthritis.
If you cannot have an MRI because of metal implants in your body or another reason, a CT scan at AHI can also be used to diagnose your herniated disc.
Compared with a bulging disk, a herniated disk is more likely to cause pain because it generally protrudes farther and is more likely to irritate nerve roots. The irritation can be from compression of the nerve or, much more commonly, the herniation causes a painful inflammation of the nerve root.
A computerized axial tomography scan (a CT or CAT scan) or a magnetic resonance imaging test (an MRI) both can show soft tissue of a bulging disc. These tests will show the stage and location of the herniated disc so you can receive proper treatment.
Most (80-90%) cases involving bulging or herniated discs will heal within 2-4 months. This of course depends on the severity of the injury, as well as your age and overall health. An important difference is that a herniated disc is a permanent injury that usually results in chronic, recurring pain.
Disc bulges are not permanent. The disc is a fluid filled structure and therefore has the capacity to heal, resolve and be re-absorbed.
Most importantly, an L4-L5 disc bulge can lead to prolonged pain and other, more serious conditions like spondylolisthesis if you delay treatment. Spondylolisthesis is a condition in which a vertebra shifts or slips, and can cause significant pain that may require surgery to fix.
How long do these disc herniations take to heal? Most disc bulges resolve in 6-8 weeks, but it can take longer depending on the size of the bulge (i.e. if the bulge is hitting the nerve behind it like described above).
Treatment with rest, pain medication, spinal injections, and physical therapy is the first step to recovery. Most people improve in 6 weeks and return to normal activity. If symptoms continue, surgery may be recommended.
It is not possible to feel a herniated disc with your hand. The intervertebral disc is much too far forward in your body for it to push that far out to feel it. If this were the case, this would mean that you could poke your spinal cord with your finger, which also isn't possible… and would be very bad if you could.
Herniated discs are a common cause of disability, and many patients are recommended for surgery as their first course of action to rid them of their pain. However, nearly 90% of patients with disc herniations don't require surgery.
Tumors of the spinal cord or near the sciatic or femoral plexus can cause neural compression and clinical signs similar to those of disc herniation. Such tumors are usually misdiagnosed as discal herniation and appropriate treatment is delayed.
Bulging discs can happen from acute, sudden trauma or they can happen over time. The spinal column itself tends to get weaker as a person ages, so simply getting older puts you at a higher risk of bulging disc pain. The spine is complex and made up of many interconnected bones (vertebrae).
It can happen that a herniated disc may be misdiagnosed as a bulging disc. Depending on the shape of the herniation, the two may look very similar in an MRI. Specifically, multi-focal disc protrusions (more than one protrusion on the same side) can look very much like a bulge.
L5-S1 Disc Bulge Symptoms
This process is absolutely normal and is a part of aging and happens with everyone. L5-S1 bulging discs are most common as they take the stress and weight of the body. The symptoms experienced in the lower back can be terribly painful.
A doctor will usually recommend a few days of rest after experiencing a herniated disk. Doing gentle activities and exercises will strengthen the muscles that support the spine and reduce pressure on the spinal column.
In nearly all cases, surgeons can remove just the protruding portion of the disk. Rarely, the entire disk must be removed. In these cases, the vertebrae might need to be fused with a bone graft. To allow the process of bone fusion, which takes months, metal hardware is placed in the spine to provide spinal stability.
Yes, it can and most of them do, with proper treatment. The fact is that with treatment, most herniated discs will heal within a few weeks. In extreme cases, it may take a few months. Even surgery cannot put the jelly-like compound of the disc back inside of it.
Exercise and physical therapy can be modified to specifically target pain stemming from L4-L5 and the lower back. These therapies help stabilize the back and keep the muscles and joints well-conditioned—providing long-term relief.
While lumbar radiculopathy typically affects one leg at a time, sometimes, both legs may be affected together. An injury to the cauda equina may cause severe pain, weakness, numbness, tingling, or paralysis in both legs.
Ayurveda offers a very tangible alternative that works in almost any case of a prolapsed or slipped disc. Ayurvedic medications comprising of herbal decoctions, tablets, capsules and oils for external application are very effective in providing relief in patients with mild to moderate problems.
Like other bulging discs, an L5-S1 disc bulge can be treated with a number of noninvasive conservative treatment options including chiropractic care and physical therapy.
Dr. Smith: As we age, our discs deteriorate and bulge downward, so bulging discs are usually caused by age-related degeneration. Because it is considered degenerative, there is usually a progressive, gradual onset of symptoms. It can cause pain in the buttocks, legs, or back.