Herniated Disc — Causes, Symptoms, Preventions And Treatment
How To Fix A Herniated Disc?
Herniated Disc — Some people do not feel any pain from a herniated disc, especially if the disc does not press on any kind of nerves. In some cases, People also called this condition as disc prolapse or a slipped disc.
While it may be very painful in some cases, but there are various promising treatment choices for a herniated disc. Symptoms generally reduce or solve after many weeks, but if they remain or worsen then a person needs surgery.
In this article, we will take a look at the causes, diagnosis, treatment and symptoms of herniated disc. In this topic, we will also read the risk factors of disc herniation and strategies by adopting them we can prevent from this condition.
What is a Herniated Disc?
A herniated disc may also be known as a slipped disc, usually occurs when the soft section of the spinal disc comes out of its casing. It may affect the nerves present around the spinal disc, and this condition can cause numbness, pain as well as weakness in the limbs.
Causes Of A Herniated Disc
A slipped or herniated disc happens when some of the soft internal part of a spinal disc slips out due to a crack in the disc’s fibrous lining. It generally happens in the lower back but it may also occur in the spinal column of the middle back and neck.
The general cause of a herniated disc is gradual wear and overuse due to the repeated movements. In aged persons, spinal discs are weaker and drier, that’s why the chances of herniated disc are higher in them.
Some medical situations may enhance the risk of disc herniation that may include connective tissue problems and spinal stenosis.
Symptoms Of A Herniated Disc
The inner part of the disc releases such chemicals that may irritate nerves of the surrounding areas, resulting in pain and inflammation. The slipped or herniated disc may put pressure on the nerves and due to compression you may feel pain.
In some conditions, a person feels no symptoms. However, there are following common symptoms that may include:
- Numbness or Tingling: In this condition, a herniated disc puts pressure on the spinal cord or on the nerves that come from the spinal cord. A person can feel the unusual sensations which travel from the spinal cord to the arms or legs along the nerves.
- Muscle Weakness: When nerves presses due to herniated disc, the muscles associated with nerves become weaker and in this condition a person may stumble during walking.
- Pain: It generally happens in the back which may spread to the arms or legs. In some cases, people feel a sensation like burning or sharp.
Symptoms of a herniated disc may different depending on the location of the issue.
An acute herniated disc in any part of the back can possibly cause issues with bowel or bladder control. If a person has pain in the back and he feels sudden changes in the control of bowel or bladder, it is generally a sign that needs emergency medical help.
Lower Back (Lumbar Region)
If the herniated disc occurs in your lower back, then pain usually affects your buttocks, thighs as well as calves. Pain you experience travels through the sciatic nerve from buttocks to down the legs, is called sciatica.
Neck (Cervical Region)
If you are facing this problem in the neck, pain is more likely to be in your arms and shoulders. However, if you have serious herniation in the neck, then it may also cause weakness, stiffness as well as numbness in the legs.
Middle Back (Thoracic Region)
If you feel a herniated disc in the middle back, pain happens around the locality of herniation. This pain transfers from the rib cage to the front of the body. Disc herniation is least common in the area of middle back.
Herniated Disc Treatment
More than 85% of individuals having herniated disc symptoms will recover on their own, although it takes up to 12 weeks.
People can solve the symptoms by avoiding movements in most of the time, as movements can promote pain and by following the recommendations related to exercise and pain management by the doctor.
Herniated disc treatment options may include:
- Medications
- Physical Therapy
- Injections
- Surgery
1- Medication
- Over-the-counter (OTC) Medications: By taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen and naproxen can help to relieve the pain.
- Muscle Relaxants: Using of these types of medications can help to comfort the painful areas, but they are alarming as these medications cause fatigue as well as serious side effects.
- Opioids: If you have severe pain and OTC medicines do not reduce discomfort, then you should consult with a doctor and can recommend opioid medications. It’s crucial to discuss the possible risks and negative effects of opioid medicines, if a doctor recommends this treatment.
- Nerve Pain Medications: If the symptoms remains with the passage of time, then a healthcare provider can recommend anticonvulsant medications for treatment of nerve pain, like gabapentin. However, it must be kept in mind these medicines also cause negative effects like drowsiness.
2- Physical Therapy
If you consult with a physical therapist for reducing the herniated disc pain, then he may recommend you certain exercises and positions.
As we already read above in this article that herniated disc symptoms usually resolve on their own, during the first 3 weeks after symptoms begin physical therapy is not often recommended. A physical therapist can make certain recommendations in a special case.
It’s very crucial, while starting a new exercise or physical therapy program, always consult with a doctor first.
3- Injections
A medical expert can use injection medicines to reduce the symptoms of a herniated disc. This method is known as nerve block.
Injection methods that a doctor uses in the treatment of a herniated disc are epidural injections and spinal nerve injections.
4- Surgery
In most cases, herniated discs will recover with nonsurgical treatment. However, a doctor may recommend surgery if an individual has the following symptoms like:
- Muscle Weakness
- Mobility Issues
- Pain that remain over time
- Disorders with bladder or bowel control
Surgical treatments for a herniated disc may include:
- Nucleotomy: In this procedure, the soft section or nucleus of a herniated disc is removed with the help of suction or laser excision.
- Spinal Fusion: In this method, a surgeon can join together two or more bones of the spinal cord.
- Discectomy: In this type of surgery, a surgeon can remove all parts or one part of a herniated disc.
- Laminectomy: In this method, a doctor can remove some part of the spinal cord to make space for nerves.
- Disk Replacement: In this procedure, a surgeon can replace herniated disc with artificial implants.
Diagnosis Of A Disc Herniation
A medical expert can usually diagnose a herniated disc with a physical examination such as:
- Walking Ability
- Muscle Strength
- Reflexes
- Sensitivity to touch
- Range of motion
- Any painful region locations in the back
A medical expert may also ask about the similar symptoms in the past as well as when the symptoms began.
Risk Factors
Anyone may have to face a disc herniation, but this disease is most common in males and individuals having 30–50 years.
Factors that enhances the chances of a herniated disc may include:
- Age
- Smoking
- Weight
- Genetics
- Sedentary Lifestyles
- Physical Hobbies
Imaging Tests
In some cases, a doctor will ask for the imaging tests. It is said when the physical examination of a person shows neurological symptoms that needs treatment.
Imaging tests for a disc herniation include:
- Myelogram
- CT Scan
- X-ray Scan
- Discogram
- MRI scans
Complications
The spinal cord of a person separates into a group of individual nerves below the waistline, collectively known as cauda equina or horse tail.
In rare situations, the entire set of nerves are compressed by a herniated disc. This condition is known as cauda equina syndrome (CES).
A person feels paralysis, permanent weakness, loss of bowel and bladder control as well as sexual dysfunction in Cauda Equina Syndrome (CES) condition. This condition needs emergency surgery for the treatment of CES.
Preventions
There are following prevention tips for a herniated disk. These include:
- You should learn the correct and best techniques for lifting and handling heavy things.
- You should manage your weight, if you are overweight or obesity, then it is a concern.
- Keep away from the painful movements, and consult with a doctor if symptoms happen.
- Individuals who smoke should discuss the strategies for quitting smoking with a doctor.
The Conclusion
A herniated disc happens when the jelly-like section or nucleus of a spinal cord comes out from the disc outer casing. It may result in weakness, pain and numbness, if the herniated disc puts pressure or irritates the nearby nerves.
Individuals can not prevent from disc herniation always. Some factors such as genetics, aging and frequent driving may cause more likely to herniation. But the medical experts suggest that an individual can reduce the risk of a disc herniation by managing weight, using safe lifting techniques and quitting smoking.
In most cases, a medical expert uses a physical examination of an individual to diagnose the disc herniation. They may ask for imaging tests like CT scan or X-ray in order to know more information about the spine and discs problems.
Herniated discs may cause acute pain, but taking the correct treatment can reduce the symptoms. Treatments that are adopted are physical therapy and pain medications. Most of the individuals will recover on their own and in serious cases, a person may need surgery.