The lower back is most commonly affected by herniated discs. Some common symptoms of a herniated or slipped disc include: Pain that occurs on one side of the body. Sharp pain in one part of the leg, hip, or buttocks and numbness in other parts.
This pain might shoot into your arm or leg when you cough, sneeze or move into certain positions. Pain is often described as sharp or burning. Numbness or tingling. People who have a herniated disk often have radiating numbness or tingling in the body part served by the affected nerves.
A bulging disc may have no pain at all because it has not reached a certain severity level, and this can make it difficult to identify the bulging disc symptoms before the condition becomes more severe. Most commonly, bulging discs create pressure points on nearby nerves which create a variety of sensations.
Herniated discs can occur in any part of the spine. Herniated discs are more common in the lower back (lumbar spine), but also occur in the neck (cervical spine). The area in which pain is experienced depends on what part of the spine is affected.
The Difference Between Muscle and Disc Pain
Muscle pain will feel like post-workout soreness, while disc pain will feel debilitating and tingly.
A misdiagnosed herniated disc is one of the most common reasons patients endure chronic neck or back pain. Herniated discs are often misdiagnosed as piriformis syndrome, a muscular disorder in the buttocks, mild sciatica, degenerative disc disease, and osteoarthritis.
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.
A L4–L5 disc bulge (or slip-disc) in the L4-L5 region can cause severe health issues such as impotence and reproduction issues. It can also lead to infertility, loss or control of the bowel or bladder, paralysis in one or both of your legs, and even death.
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.
You are not likely to be able to feel the disc itself, since it is located between the bones of your spine. However, you may be able to determine the affected area by touching various points along your back that you can reach.
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).
Avoid Sitting Too Much
Sitting for long periods is not advised if you suffer from a herniated disc. It places more stress on your spinal discs, worsening the pain. You can maintain comfort by regularly moving around or standing up from your seat.
In addition to natural wear and tear, other factors that can contribute to a bulging disc include repetitive movements, strenuous lifting, twisting of the body, bone spurs pushing against the disc, and many other degenerative conditions.
It can cause pain in the buttocks, legs, or back. It can also affect your ability to walk. Bulging discs usually affect multiple discs. This condition develops over time and can cause other disc degeneration-related issues, like lumbar stenosis (narrowing of spinal canal).
Generally speaking—as long as they're performed correctly—core and back exercises are beneficial for bulging discs, as are activities like walking, elliptical exercise, swimming, and riding a stationary or regular bike.
Rest. Most often 1-2 days of strict bed rest will calm severe back pain. Bed rest should not exceed 48 hours. Once you are back into your daily routine, you should take frequent rest breaks throughout the day- but avoid sitting for long periods of time.
Chiropractic is a preferred treatment option for many people with bulging and herniated discs because it is a non-invasive process and does not require drugs or injections. Once you have reached your diagnosis, you and your chiropractor can work hand in hand to look for the best way to treat your condition.
Generally speaking, as the L4 and L5 discs are located right at the bottom of the lumbar spine you'll want to avoid exercises that involve any kind of forward bending that can cause further compression from the waist down.
Stage 4: Sequestered Disc – Once the nucleus pulposus layer breaks through the outer layer, the inner layer will lie outside the disc and affect the spinal canal, causing a herniated nucleus pulposus. At this stage, it is considered to be a complete herniation and a neurological deficit.
MRI scan is the best non-invasive test available to find herniated and bulging discs and annular tears. Because the spatial resolution of spinal anatomy can be defined to 0.5mm with an MRI scan, doctors can identify with over 95% accuracy the herniated discs in the spine.
Herniated discs are considered more severe than bulging discs because they put significant pressure on nearby nerves, which can cause intense pain, inflammation and difficulties with movement.
Dr. Seth Neubardt, cervical spine surgical expert tells how the x-ray is used to check the bones in the neck but it cannot reveal a herniated disc. To see the disc you must obtain a CT scan or MRI.