Spotting the Warning Signs of a Herniated Disc

You’ve probably heard of a herniated, slipped, or bulging disc. This common issue affects the rubbery discs found in between the bones of your spine. These areas, known as intervertebral discs, cushion the vertebrae in your spine and give it flexibility. But when one of your discs sustains damage, its soft filling can bulge out. These disc changes can irritate or pinch nearby nerve roots, triggering symptoms that you usually don’t see with muscle strains or sprains.

Our Commonwealth Pain & Spine team understands the complex nature of back pain and how herniated discs can disrupt your daily life. If you notice any of these issues, it could indicate a herniated disc.

No significant trauma

You can develop a herniated disc because of an injury or excessive strain. However, disc injuries are the result of seemingly harmless activities. That’s because as you age, your intervertebral discs become less flexible and drier, which leaves them susceptible to damage. Because of the normal wear-and-tear of aging, you can sustain injuries from the smallest movements. That means you can get a herniated disc just by lifting a heavy object or turning and twisting at the same time.

Radiating pain

When herniated discs irritate or compress nerve roots near your spine, you can experience radiculopathy. These types of symptoms involve nerves and vary depending on where they occur in your spine, but often include:

• Radiating pain in your arms or legs
• Loss of reflexes or weakness in your arms or legs
• Numbness or abnormal tingling sensations in your arms or legs
• Symptoms that worsen when you cough, sneeze, sit, or stand for long periods
• Sciatica symptoms in your lower back, buttock, and leg

In most cases, your symptoms worsen at night and only affect one side of your body.

Being high risk

Anyone can have a herniated disc, but several factors can increase your chances, including:

• Being overweight, obese, or male
• Being 35-50 years old 
• Having a physically demanding occupation

The best way of preventing herniated discs involves practicing good posture, maintaining a healthy weight, and engaging in regular muscle-strengthening activities designed to stabilize and support your spine.

Treating a herniated disc

During your appointment, we work closely with you to reach an accurate diagnosis and develop a personalized treatment strategy to relieve your symptoms. Herniated disc therapies often include a combination of approaches, like: 

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications
• Hot and cold compresses
• Epidural steroid injections 
• Neurostimulation
• Physical therapy

For nerve pain that doesn’t respond to more conservative treatments, we might recommend surgery.

We can help relieve your back pain at one of our convenient locations throughout Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois. Contact us by calling Commonwealth Pain & Spine or by booking an appointment online today.