Lumbar Disc Herniation-Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, Recovery and Exercises
Lumbar Disc Herniation-Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, Recovery and Exercises
The vertebrae are the bony building blocks of the human spine. Between each of the parts of the vertebrae are the discs with ligaments situated around the spine and discs. The spinal has seven vertebrae within the neck (cervical vertebrae), 12 vertebrae within the mid-back (thoracic vertebrae), and five vertebrae within the low back (lumbar vertebrae). Within the mid-buttock, beneath the fifth vertebra, is that the sacrum, followed by the tailbone.
The bony spine designed so that vertebrae “stacked” together can provide a movable support structure while also protecting the medulla spinals (nervous tissue that extends down the vertebral column from the brain) from injury. Each vertebra features a spinous process, a bony prominence behind the medulla spinals that shields the cord’s nervous tissue. The vertebrae even have a robust body ahead of the medulla spinals to supply a platform suitable for weight-bearing.
The discs are pads that function as “cushions” between the vertebral bodies to attenuate the impactful movement on the vertebral column. Each disc is like a doughnut with a central soft component (nucleus pulposus). Ligaments are the soft fibrous tissues that tightly hold one bone to another. Ligaments tightly hold each of the vertebrae and surround each of the discs. When ligaments have an injury because the disc degenerates, localized pain within the area affected may result.
What are the danger factors for a herniated disc?
Risk factors for a ruptured intervertebral disc include degeneration of the spine and work or bending of the spine.
What are the symptoms of a herniated disc?
The symptoms of a ruptured intervertebral disc depend upon the precise level of the spine where the disc Herniation occurs and whether or not nervous tissue is being irritated. A disc Herniation might not cause any symptoms. However, disc Herniation can cause local pain at the extent of the spine affected.
If the disc Herniation is large enough, the disc tissue can continue the adjacent spinal nerves that exit the spine at the extent of the disc Herniation. It can cause shooting pain within the distribution of that nerve and typically occurs on one side of the body and is sciatica. For instance, a disc Herniation at the extent between the fourth and fifth lumbar vertebrae of the low back can cause shooting pain down the buttock into the rear of the thigh and down the leg. Sometimes this is often related to numbness, weakness, and tingling within the legs. The pain gets worsened upon standing and reduces with lying down. it’s a “pinched nerve.”
If the disc Herniation occurs within the cervical spine, the pain may shoot down one arm and cause a stiff neck or spasm within.
If the disc Herniation is large, it can continue spinal nerves on each side of the body. It may result in severe pain down one or both lower extremities. There are often marked muscle weakness of the lower extremities and even incontinence of the bowel and bladder. This complication is medically called cauda equina syndrome.
What is the treatment for a herniated disc?
Sometimes disc Herniation is accidentally detected when a test like an MRI performed for other reasons. If no symptoms are present, no particular treatment is vital.
Depending on the severity of symptoms, treatments for a ruptured intervertebral disc include:
Physical therapy
Muscle-relaxant medications
Pain medications
Anti-inflammation medications
Local injection of cortisone (epidural injections)
Surgical Operations.
* All people with a disc Herniation should take complete rest and avoid reinjuring the disc.
Sometimes, people with relatively severe pain can answer conservative measures, including:
• physiotherapy with an exercise regimen
• Cortisone injection or oral cortisone medication (such as methylprednisolone or prednisone), without the necessity for surgical intervention.
There is now a spread of surgical approaches to treat disc Herniation. Each operation is customized to the individual situation and depends on the spine condition around the disc affected.
Surgical options include:
Microdiscectomy using small surgical instruments open surgical repair (either from a posterior or anterior approach). The urgent operation is often necessary when cauda equina syndrome is present (reviewed above).
What are home remedies for a herniated disc?
Home remedies for disc Herniation are often very effective in relieving the pain. These include over-the-counter no steroidal anti-inflammatory drug drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and Aleve (Aleve), also because of the application of warmth and ice. Alternating heat and ice are very effective for pain relief for many people. Activity modification is avoidance of activities that aggravate pain and may worsen nerve impingement. Bed rest and complete inactivity are unnecessary. Physical Activities hinder recovery and are non-advisable.
What health care professionals treat herniated discs?
Many different health care providers treat herniated discs that include:
Emergency-medicine physicians
Pain management specialists
Orthopedists
Rheumatologists and Neurologists.
