What You Need to Know About a Slipped Or Herniated Disc - Part 1

Have you ever experienced serious back pain? I'm talking about back pain that was so bad that you couldn't walk or sleep or go to work? Researchers estimate that 60-80% of Americans will experience lower back pain at some point in their life. While it is not debilitating in most cases it can be quite severe and even life threatening. When your pain is as intense as what was described at the start you may have had a friend suggest that you could have a "slipped" or herniated disc. This article will describe exactly what this condition is and how you can tell if you might have it.

Your Spine: First, you must understand that the spinal column is made up of 25 movable segments. The bones in your spine are called vertebrae. Vertebrae are stacked on top of each other and span all the way from you're the base of your skull to your tailbone. The purposes of this column of spinal bones are to protect the spinal cord and to allow or limit movements. In between adjacent vertebra are intervertebral discs. These discs are made of a substance called fibrocartilage which is tough and rubbery. At the center of every disc is a gelatinous core called the nucleus pulposus. The purposes of these discs are to govern the flexibility of the spine and absorb the shock of forces on the spine.

Disc Injuries: Occasionally these rubbery discs can bulge or even tear. When this happens it is possible for the disc to deform to the point that it starts to compress nerve roots coming off of the spinal cord. These nerve roots provide all of the nerve connections from the body to the brain. Whether its fingers and toes or the liver or the heart, all parts of the body communicate with the brain through the nerve roots which are attached to the spinal cord. When these nerve roots are compressed it can cause numbness, tingling, or even weakness to muscle groups supplied by that nerve root. The most common locations for this to happen are the low back (most common) and the neck (next most common). This occurs in the mid back, also called the thoracic spine, as well but very rarely. A low back disc herniation will cause some leg symptoms and a neck herniation will usually cause arm/hand symptoms and very rarely leg symptoms as well. Disc bulges are more common and less serious than herniations. A bulging disc may not even cause any symptoms at all. This is just a stretching of part of the disc causing it to bulge in one direction. Often these will resolve own their own without any complications.

Herniations, on the other hand, occur when the outer fibers of the disc are torn and the nucleus pulposus begins to leak out. This can cause the nerve root to become compressed or inflamed. Disc herniations are usually symptomatic and can take months or years to resolve if they are not managed properly. Ways that you can determine whether your problem may be a herniated disc is the subject of my next article. Continue reading for specific signs and symptoms that you may have some damage to your disc. Once you know what a disc herniation is and how you can tell if you have one, you will be ready to learn about some of the treatment options which will be the topic of the third article in this series.