Causes and Symptoms of Herniated Disc

Introduction:

Your spinal column is made up of a series of vertebrae stacked onto each other. These bones are cushioned by discs. The discs prevents the bones by absorbing the shocks from daily activities like walking, twisting or lifting. Each disc has two parts:

1. A soft, gelatinous inner portion and
2. A tough outer ring.

Any injury can cause the inner portion of the disc to pop out through the outer ring. This is known as a slipped, prolapsed, or herniated disc. This causes severe pain and discomfort. If the disc compresses one of your spinal nerves, you may also go through numbness and pain along the affected nerve. In severe instances, you may require surgery to repair the slipped disc.

Causes:

A Herniated disc occurs when the outer ring becomes weak or gets torn which eventually allows the inner portion to move out. Certain day to day activities may also cause a slipped disc. A disc can slip out of its place while you are turning to lift an object. Lifting a heavy object can place great stress on the lower back, resulting in disc slipping out. If you have a physically demanding job that requires a lot of weight lifting, you may be at magnified risk for slipped discs. They are more common in men than women as men are more exposed to lifting.

Overweight individuals are also at magnified risk because their discs have to support the additional weight. Weak muscles and a sedentary lifestyle may also give in to the development of a prolapsed disc.

You are more likely to experience a slipped disc with age. This is because your discs begin to lose some of their cautionary water content as you age. Consequently, they can slip out of place with an extreme ease.

Symptoms:

You can experience a slipped disc in any part of your spinal nerve, from your neck to your lower back. The lower back is recognized as most common areas for slipped discs. Your spinal column is an intricate web of nerves and blood vessels. A herniated disc can place extra pressure on the nerves and muscles around it.  Common symptoms include:

• pain and numbness, commonly on single side of the body
• pain that extends to your arms and legs
• pain that worsens at night with certain unavoidable movements
• pain that worsens after standing or sitting or walking short distances
• unexplained muscle weakness
• Tingling and burning sensations in the affected area

It is recommended to consult your doctor if your pain results in numbness that affects your ability to control your muscles.Your doctor can pool all these pieces of information to determine what is causing you pain or discomfort and can then provide a detailed diagnosis.