Factors Of Getting A Herniated Disc, Its Symptoms & Treatment

Herniated Disc

A herniated disc is when one of the rubber-like cushions, that is between the bones that make up your vertebrae, has a tear on the tough outer coating causing some of the softer inside to propel its way outwards. There are many factors that can contribute to a person’s risk of getting a herniated disc. A few of the factors are weight, occupation, genetics, and age.

Weight can put a person at risk because the more weight on someone’s body, the more stress being put on someone’s back which can help to trigger the start of a herniated disc. A person’s occupation can put a person at risk because people who have jobs that require them to do a lot of rigorous physical activity that involves their back, such as lifting things, can cause increase to a person’s risk of having back problems; thus, maybe leading to a herniated disc. Genetics can also put a person at risk because some people carry genetics that makes it more likely from them to get a herniated disc. The final factor that can contribute to a person getting a herniated disc is age. As a person ages, the discs in their vertebrae are more inclined to weaken or break down, causing a loss of cushion around the disc, which can lead to a herniated disc in the process.

Despite all these factors that can cause a herniated disc, there are many symptoms that can result from a herniated disc. A few of the symptoms associated with a herniated disc can include: arm or leg pain, numbness or tingling, and/or weakness. The arm or leg pain depends on where the disc is located in the vertebrae. If the herniated disc is located in the neck of a person, the person will more than likely feel pain in the shoulder or arm. If the herniated disc is located in the vertebrae, the person is more likely to have pain in their butt, calves, or thighs. People often experience numbness due to areas of nerves being affected in the body. People also often experience weakness due to the affected nerves from the disc weakening causing someone to stumble.

There are many ways to see if you have a herniated disc, Physical exams are great way to determine if you have a herniated disc. A doctor will check a person’s back for tenderness and they will also check the reflexes, muscle strength, walking ability, and the ability to feel light touches. Another great way to see if a person has a herniated disc is imaging tests. One imaging test is an x-ray even though it doesn’t show a herniated disc, it helps to rule out other back problems.

Another imaging test is a CT scan because it forms cross sectional images of a person’s spine and all of the structures around it. Another imaging test is a MRI because it can show where the herniated disc is located and the nerves that have been affected by it or that were affected by it. The last imaging test is a myelogram because it can show the pressure on a person’s spinal cord and nerves due to a herniated disc. The final great way to determine if a person has a herniated disc is nerve tests. Nerve tests are very useful because they assist in pinpointing the location of the nerve damage from a herniated disc.

There are many different ways in treating a herniated disc. A herniated disc can be treated by over the counter medicine, pain management, steroid injections, and muscle relaxers. These types of treatment are mainly used for mild pain from a herniated disc. If a person is having severe pain from a herniated disc, the person may be required to have surgery to remove the “bulging” section of the disc in a person’s back. Despite herniated discs being painful, there are many ways to treat them and conquer them!