Everything You Need To Know About A Herniated Disc

Back pain does not always mean that you simply have overworked your back muscles or lifted something wrong. It could mean something worse is happening. The majority of people complain about back pain from time to time, especially if they work in cleaning, construction, etc. However, daily back pain or continuous back pain is not normal. You could have a herniated disc in your back causing your pain.

What Is a Herniated Disc?

First, let us cover what else they could be called, because some medical professionals will use different terms, but they all mean the same thing – a herniated disc. It could be otherwise called a bulging disc, slipped disc, compressed disc, prolapsed disc, ruptured disc, and other various herniated disc terms.

Of course, you know that you have a backbone in your back – a spine made up of many different bones that work together. These are called vertebrae. You have twenty-six vertebrae in your spine from your neck all the way down to just above your tailbone. In between each vertebrae are soft, jelly like discs to help cushion your vertebrae and keep them where they should be.

A herniated disc is one that has slipped out of its place or even ruptured. This can cause a lot of different symptoms, especially pain if your herniated disc is pressing on any nerves that are close by your spine. This can lead to sciatica and major back pain.

Symptoms of a Herniated Disc –

· Back pain
· Neck pain
· Pain going down to the but and legs
· Pain going into the shoulders and arms
· Any tingling such as pins and needles or numbness
· Muscle spasms
· Weakness
· Pain, numbness or tingling in your feet

The pain you experience in your body all depends on where your herniated disc is and if it is pressing on any of your nerves. If your herniated disc is in your lower back you may feel symptoms all the way down to the bottom of your feet. If your herniated disc is in your upper back you could feel symptoms all the way to your fingertips.

Treatment Options for a Herniated Disc –

Many people can recover from a herniated disc with the proper treatment of rest, anti inflammatory medications, pain medications, etc. You can also try cold or hot treatments according to what your medical professional suggests. Warm baths can help, especially with relaxing Epsom salts.

Physical Therapy –

Another treatment option is physical therapy. You need to keep those muscles working well and properly so you do not get injured again or feel worse because your muscles have gotten soft. You need to keep your strength up to help in the healing process. Do not be alarmed or upset if your medical professional suggests that you should lose some weight. The more weight your back has to carry around and support the more pain you will be in. If you are even just a little overweight you may want to consider a daily walk to shed off some of those extra pounds.

Back Surgery –

A final treatment option would be surgery that some people along with their medical professionals choose to go ahead with when nothing else seems to work. This would be an option you might choose if other treatments do not seem to be making any progress and the pain and symptoms do not seem to be dissipating.

During surgery your surgeon and others assisting will cut open your back and examine the herniated disc to see what they can do. This surgery is called a discectomy. The surgeon will then carefully attempt to remove any of the herniated disc material to prevent it from hitting any nerves. Since nerves pretty much surround your spine this is a risky surgery, which is why it is much of a last resort. You may also be suggested to get a laminectomy done if your herniated disc is hard to get to easily. This is where the surgeon will remove some of the bones on your spine that stick out and curve downward.

Importance of Healing –

Surgery is a last resort option because it is risky and may not even work. It is vital to your health to begin natural treatment options early and commit to them. Find out what you can do to relieve the pain, what you can do to avoid irritating the disc, and how you can live with less pain every day. Stay healthy, strong and smart. Do not choose anything you are not comfortable doing even if your medical professional thinks it is best. Keep exercising, eating well, stretching, proper posture, and preventing further pain.

You can live a healthy and pain free life after a herniated disc.