Symptoms of a Herniated Disc in the Lower Back

💥Lumbar Disc Herniation Symptoms💥

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😨 The lumbar area of the spine (the lower back) is the most injured area. The vertebrae are and discs are bigger than anywhere else in the spine, and this reflects its function as a shock absorber.

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🦴A herniated disc is also known as a prolapsed disc & sometimes "slipped disc." There is damage to outer layer of the disc called the annulus fibrosis that allows the nucleus pulposis on the inside to herniate. This can compress and irritate the spinal cord & spinal nerves. This results in a multitude of symptoms that include pain, weakness, and sensory loss. This is often referred to as "sciatica."

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Presentation:

👷Often patients will recall an incident that triggered the pain such as lifting & twisting.

💥Pain is often described as sharp, burning, electric shock or a dull ache.

⚡️ Pain can radiate in the distribution of the affected nerve root.

❄️In more serious cases this can result in a loss of sensation, numbness, pins and needles, itching,

💪 Each spinal nerve innervates certain muscles of the lower limb called a myotome which can present as weak. L3/4 weakness would present as difficulty straightening the knee. L5 issues would prevent you to push up onto your toes.

💦 In extremely serious cases there may be changes in the bladder or bowel & sexual dysfunction. THIS SHOULD BE TREATED AS A MEDICAL EMERGENCY

🤸‍♂‍Often most movements of the trunk will cause pain. Some patients present with a certain movement such as side bending to the affected side or extension.

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📊Almost 85% of patient’s symptoms will resolve in 8-12weeks without any treatment. However, that is a long time to be in severe pain. Around 30% of patients complain of low back pain after 1 year. Chronic symptoms are also associated with mental health disorders such as depression & anxiety.

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🚶Most patients complain of worse pain when sitting & reduced pain when walking. Current advice is to try to keep moving in small doses. This might be 2-3 5-10minutes walks each day or a specific set of mobility exercises.

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🙋‍♂️Have you suffered from these symptoms? Please share in the comments what they were & how long it took to resolve to help someone suffering the same 👇