What is a Herniated Disc?
A “disc” refers to the intervertebral discs of the spine. These are round rubbery cushions between each bone of the spine (vertebrae) that act as shock absorbers. The structure of each disc is like a jelly donut with a tougher outer casing and a gelatinous inner core.
A disc herniates when some of the inner jelly protrudes out through a tear in the outer casing into the spinal canal. Other terms that are often used for disc herniations are slipped, bulging or ruptured discs. Although they can happen anywhere in the spine, herniated discs are most common in the cervical (neck) and lumbar (low back) regions. They can occur from a sudden injury or from a gradual wearing down.
Who gets a herniated disc?
A herniated disc can occur at any age. Discs begin to degenerate early in life and continue as we get older. The elasticity of the outer shell and the water content of the inner core also decreases with time. Furthermore, the outer shell accumulates tears and becomes weakened, making it more likely for the disc contents to herniate through.
Disc herniations can occur from relatively minor events such as twisting or bending or from more aggressive movements such as heavy lifting. In many cases people can’t pinpoint any specific movement or event that caused their symptoms at all.
What are the symptoms of a herniated disc?
Almost everyone has some changes in their discs over time that cause no symptoms. This fact can make imaging such as MRIs difficult to interpret, as many show silent disc herniations that may have nothing to do with a person’s actual pain.
Generally, pain is the most prominent symptom of disc herniations. Specific symptoms develop when the herniation is big enough to compress the spinal nerve next to it:
- Pain radiating from the neck down the arm (for cervical discs)
- Sciatica, or pain radiation from the low back into the back of the thigh ( for lumbar discs)
- Numbness or Tingling
- Weakness
- In severe cases, loss of control of the bowel or bladder.
What are the treatments for a herniated disc?
Treatment choices should have a combined focus of alleviating the current symptoms and decreasing the likelihood of recurrence.
First, we take a detailed history and perform a thorough physical exam. With this information, we can decide if imaging such as an xray or MRI are needed.
Following this, we’ll create a treatment program that makes sense for each individual patient.
For symptom management, we may recommend a combination of anti-inflammatory medication, therapeutic exercises, and movement modifications. For long term improvement, a tailored physical therapy program will be essential. This customized program is necessary for improving the underlying strength, flexibility, posture and movement patterns that may have led to the herniated disc.
What’s Next?
Schedule your free consultation to evaluate your individual circumstances. During this call you’ll speak directly with Dr. Jow, our sports medicine physician. While we can’t give out specific advice until you become a patient, we can discuss your issue and determine if Avid is the best fit for you. If an in-person visit is recommended, we will schedule it right away.