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Herniated Disk Disease
Quality patient care
A herniated disk disease is a common condition that can be painful and debilitating. People also refer to it as a slipped disk or disk prolapse.
It refers to a problem with one of the rubbery cushions (disks) between the individual bones (vertebrae) that stack up to make your spine.
Your spinal column is made up of a series of bones (vertebrae) stacked onto each other. The bones are cushioned by disks which protect the bones by absorbing the shocks from daily activities like walking, lifting, and twisting.
Each disk has two parts: a soft, gelatinous inner portion and a tough outer ring. Injury or weakness can cause the inner portion of the disk to protrude through the outer ring. This is known as a slipped, herniated, or prolapsed disk.
Signs and Symptoms of Herniated Disk Disease
Most herniated disks disease occur in your lower back (lumbar spine), although they can also occur in your neck (cervical spine). The most common signs and symptoms of a herniated disks are:
People who have a herniated disk often experience numbness or tingling in the body part served by the affected nerves.
If your herniated disk is in your lower back, you will feel the most intense pain in your buttocks, thigh and calf. It may also involve part of the foot.
Muscles served by the affected nerves tend to weaken. This may cause you to stumble, or impair your ability to lift or hold items.
Seek emergency medical attention if you have worsening symptoms such as pain, numbness or weakness may increase to the point that you can’t perform your usual daily activities and bladder or bowel dysfunction.
Causes of herniated disk disease
Disk herniation is most often the result of a gradual, aging-related wear and tear called disk degeneration.
As you age, your spinal disks lose some of their water content. That makes them less flexible and more prone to tearing or rupturing with even a minor strain or twist.
Sometimes, using your back muscles instead of your leg and thigh muscles to lift large, heavy objects can lead to a herniated disk, as can twisting and turning while lifting.
a traumatic event such as a fall or a blow to the back can cause a herniated disk.
Factors that increase your risk of a herniated disk disease
- Weight. Excess body weight causes extra stress on the disks in your lower back.
- Occupation. People with physically demanding jobs have a greater risk of back problems. Repetitive lifting, pulling, pushing, bending sideways and twisting also may increase your risk of a herniated disk.
- Genetics. Some people inherit a predisposition to developing a herniated disk.
How is herniated disk disease diagnosed?
Your neck specialist will first perform a physical exam looking for the source of your pain and discomfort. This will involve checking your nerve function and muscle strength, and whether you feel pain when moving or touching the affected area.
Your doctor also evaluate your medical history and your symptoms. They will be interested in when you first felt symptoms and what activities cause your pain to worsen.
Imaging tests can help your doctor view the bones and muscles of your spine and identify any damaged areas.
They include X-rays, CT scans and MRI scans.
Electromyograms and nerve conduction studies measure how well electrical impulses are moving along nerve tissue. This can help pinpoint the location of the nerve damage.
These tests help to determine what is causing your pain, weakness, or discomfort.
How can you prevent a herniated disk disease?
To help prevent a herniated disk disease:
Maintain a healthy weight. Excess weight puts more pressure on the spine and disks, making them more susceptible to herniation.
Increase your range of motion
Treatment options for herniated disks
Treatment options include medication, therapy, and surgery.
The treatment typically depends on the level of discomfort you’re experiencing and how far the disk has slipped out of place.
Most people can relieve slipped disk pain using an exercise program that stretches and strengthens the back and surrounding muscles. A physical therapist may recommend exercises that can strengthen your back while reducing your pain.
Taking over-the-counter pain relievers and avoiding heavy lifting and painful positions can also help.
If symptoms do not improve with other treatments, if numbness persists, or if bladder control or mobility worsen, the treating doctor might recommend surgery.
Diskectomy: This is the most common surgery used for herniated disk in the lumbar region. In this procedure, the portion of the disk that is causing the pressure on your nerve root is removed.