Herniated Disc Symptoms & Treatment Options
What Is a Herniated Disc?
A herniated disc occurs when the soft, gel-like center of a spinal disc pushes through its outer layer. This can irritate nearby nerves, causing pain, numbness, or weakness. Herniated discs most commonly occur in the lower back (lumbar spine) but can also affect the neck (cervical spine).
What Are the Symptoms of a Herniated Disc?
Symptoms vary depending on the location of the herniation and the severity of nerve compression. Common signs include:
- Lower Back (Lumbar Spine):
- Radiating pain down one leg (sciatica)
- Tingling or numbness in the leg or foot
- Muscle weakness
- Neck (Cervical Spine):
- Pain radiating into the shoulder or arm
- Numbness or tingling in the arm or hand
- Neck pain and stiffness
In Denver’s active community, symptoms might flare up after skiing, hiking, or lifting heavy objects. If the pain is severe or persistent, it’s essential to get a professional evaluation.
What Causes a Herniated Disc?
Common causes include:
- Aging and Wear-and-Tear: Disc degeneration is a natural part of aging and can make discs more prone to herniation.
- Injury or Trauma: A sudden strain or accident can cause a disc to rupture.
- Repetitive Motions: Jobs or hobbies that require heavy lifting or twisting motions, like shoveling Denver’s snow, can increase the risk.
How Is a Herniated Disc Diagnosed?
At SpineOne, we use a combination of methods to diagnose herniated discs, including:
- Comprehensive Physical Exam: To assess pain triggers, muscle strength, and range of motion.
- Advanced Imaging: Techniques like MRI or CT scans provide detailed images to confirm the herniation and its impact on nerves.
Same Day Appointments with Herniated Disc Specialists
WHEN to see a Doctor for Herniated Disc Symptoms
If your herniated disc pain isn’t responding to medication and rest, it’s probably time to seek the advice of a specialist. But which spine specialist to choose? Seeing your doctor about your herniated disc symptoms will likely include getting an imaging scan (e.g., a CT or MRI scan) to show exactly what’s causing your pain. Knowing the true cause is essential to helping your doctor develop a treatment plan that appropriately addresses these symptoms.
A Spine Specialist like SpineOne can help prevent serious herniated disc pain and complications and can do so quickly and effectively. Our medical center is designed to determine the cause and severity of your herniated disc and craft a treatment plan that minimizes your pain and long-term complications. These services are all provided under one roof, with a clinic, modern CT & MRI scanners, and a treatment center on-site. We can often diagnose herniated disc pain the same day you come in. And in severe cases can also offer same-day treatments to give you relief and let you get back to your busy life.
Herniated Disc Treatment
SpineOne treats herniation with a combination of rest, anti-inflammatory medication, physical therapy, and minimally-invasive therapies. These treatments offer effective and lasting relief from disc degeneration and also provide an alternative to open back surgery. Patients who follow this treatment plan report significant reduction of their pain and improvement of their range of motion and quality of life.
- Physical therapy
- Medication
- Minimally Invasive Injections
- Minimally Invasive Surgery
A Discussion of Disc Degeneration Types
Herniated Disc? Bulging Disc? Slipped Disc? What’s the Difference?
If you’ve been to a doctor or done some Internet research, you have undoubtedly come across the terms “pinched nerve,” “bulging disc,” and “herniated disc” while looking for causes of spine pain. These terms are frequently used interchangeably in many articles and discussions, but what do they mean? What’s the difference? And how do you know which one is causing you pain?
All of these terms are ultimately used to describe spinal disc pathology and associated pain. Even healthcare professionals tend to not agree on a precise definition of these terms, which can be frustrating when hearing your diagnosis described differently (such as ruptured disc, torn disc, slipped disc, or disc protrusion) by various physicians.
Do I have a Slipped Disc or a Herniated Disc?
The difference between a herniated and bulging disc is simple. To use a common metaphor among physicians, think of a disc like a jelly donut. The donut has a liquid center surrounded by a thicker shell. If you press down on the donut, the sides bulge out as the jelly inside presses against them – this is a bulging disc or disc protrusion. If you press down on the donut hard enough that the jelly comes out, it becomes a herniated disc, ruptured disc, or torn disc.
The term “slipped disc” is a kind of slang for accepted medical terms that relate to disc disorders that rarely include slipping. The term has become popular in non-medical articles and social media posts, but disc slippage is rarely, if ever, involved. More often than not this phrase actually refers to a herniated or bulging disc pushing into nerve endings nearby.