Herniated Disc: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments Explained

By Your Health Magazine

A herniated disc, also called a slipped or ruptured disc, happens when the soft center of a spinal disc pushes out through a crack in the outer layer. This can press on nearby nerves and cause pain, numbness, or weakness. It often occurs in the lower back (lumbar spine) or neck (cervical spine).

In some cases, especially when someone else’s negligence caused serious injury, people may need to seek compensation and obtain justice through legal support. Knowing the causes, symptoms, and treatments helps us make informed choices and protect our health.

Causes of a Herniated Disc

Several factors can lead to a herniated disc. Some develop over time, while others happen suddenly. Here are the most common causes:

Age-related degeneration: As we age, our spinal discs lose water and flexibility, making them more likely to crack or rupture, even with minor movements.
Trauma or injury: A sudden force, like lifting something heavy the wrong way, twisting sharply, or being in a car accident, can cause a disc to slip or tear.
Repetitive strain: Jobs involving frequent bending, lifting, or twisting can stress the spine. Poor posture, especially when sitting for long hours, also adds to the strain.
Risk factors: Certain habits and conditions raise the risk. These include being overweight, smoking (which reduces oxygen to discs), lack of exercise, and a family history of disc problems.

Understanding these causes helps us lower our risk and take better care of our spines.

Symptoms and Warning Signs

Symptoms of a herniated disc can vary depending on where it is and how much it presses on nearby nerves. Some people may feel mild discomfort, while others experience severe pain.

Localized pain: Pain often starts in the neck (cervical spine) or lower back (lumbar spine). It may feel sharp, dull, or constant.
Radiating pain: When a disc presses on a nerve, pain can travel. In the lower back, this often shows up as sciatica, sharp pain shooting down the leg. In the neck, it may cause pain in the arm or shoulder.
Numbness or tingling: You might feel “pins and needles” in areas served by the affected nerve, like the legs, feet, arms, or hands.
Muscle weakness: Weakness may appear as trouble lifting objects, holding things, or walking steadily.
Severe cases: If bladder or bowel control is lost, it could mean cauda equina syndrome, a medical emergency.

Diagnosis and Medical Evaluation

Doctors usually start with a physical exam to determine whether they have a herniated disc. They might check our reflexes and ask us to perform certain movements, like the straight-leg raise test, to see if they cause pain.

They often use imaging tests to get a clearer picture. An MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan is very good at showing soft tissues like discs and nerves. Sometimes, a CT scan or X-rays might help confirm the diagnosis and rule out other problems.

Treatment Options

Luckily, many people with herniated discs find relief through conservative treatments. These often involve a period of rest, changes to daily activities to avoid movements that worsen the pain, and exercises to strengthen the back and improve flexibility with a physical therapist.

Doctors may also recommend pain-relieving medications like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or steroid injections to help reduce pain and inflammation. If the pain is severe and doesn’t improve with these methods, or if there’s significant nerve compression, surgery might be an option.

Common surgical procedures include discectomy or microdiscectomy to remove the part of the disc pressing on the nerve. In some less common cases, an artificial disc replacement might be considered.