Herniated, ruptured or slipped disc, aka disk, all refer to the same cause for back or neck pain. They all generally mean one or multiple disks have moved out of their rightful place.
A disc is a flat, oval, jelly like tissue that separate, cushion and keep your spine’s vertebrae in place. It is vital to movement of your backbone.
A herniated disc is a disk that has slipped out of place or ruptured. And if it compresses, pinches, irritates or inflames a nerve, it can cause some very noticeable back pain and movement problems. This disc slipping most commonly occurs in the lumbar region of the spine.
One of the major associative causes for a herniated disc is aging. As you age, your disks become flatter and weaker. This results in them to moving out place easier.
The most common direct cause for a ruptured slipped disc is heavy lifting while bending or twisting. But for some, even a minor strain or twist can cause a disk herniation.
Disc degeneration and spinal stenosis are some health conditions associated with herniated disks. And rarely does a fall or back blow cause a slipped disc.
Conceivably, you could have a herniated disc without knowing it because it doesn’t cause symptoms. For disks that slip and do cause symptoms, you may experience:
- sciatica
- neuralgia
- paresthesia
- muscle spasms
- muscle weakness
- spreading back pain
- spreading neck pain
- pain aggravated by sitting, coughing, sneezing, bending
Uncommonly, disk herniation can cause cauda equina syndrome. This means your slipped disk is compressing on a nerve root. This situation is a significantly more serious neurological health condition causing symptoms of:
- paralysis
- bowel dysfunction
- severe low back pain
- inner thigh loss of feeling
- bladder dysfunction, incontinence
And if left untreated it can cause permanent paraplegia. So in this case, a disk herniation becomes an emergency requiring health care treatment ASAP.
Herniated disks take a long time to heal, yet most do. Before surgery is considered, conservative disc treatments should be tried:
- rest
- weight lose
- heating pad
- muscle relaxants
- cortisone injection
- herniated disc back brace
- pain relievers ~ OTC or narcotics
- anti-inflammatory ~ usually NSAIDs
- back muscle strengthening, stretching exercises
- physical therapy ~ traction, ultrasound, electrical stimulation
- complimentary treatment ~ acupuncture, massage, chiropractic spine manipulation
Cold packs help relieve pain and inflammation at the beginning, when you first feel the symptoms of a disk herniation.
You can expect it’ll take a couple of months for your symptoms to significantly improve. And surgical treatment may be required if your herniated ruptured slipped disc symptoms don’t subside with conservative treatments.
One key method for preventing a herniated disk is to lift heavy objects with your legs and not your back. Squat and not bend to pick stuff up.