Herniated disc: symptoms& TreatmentOf acute Back pain in the lower back up to radiating pain: a herniated disc can manifest itself in many ways. Most often affected are Cervical spine (HWS) and lumbar spine (LWS). Here you will learn what actually happens, when a conservative therapy or. surgery is necessary to treat the herniated disc and what you can do if the classic symptoms occur.
What is a herniated disc? The intervertebral discs are, in a sense, the "shock absorbers" of the spine. Located between the individual vertebral bodies. They consist of a fibrous ring. A gelatinous filling. At herniated disc (disc hernia) the fibrous ring of the intervertebral disc tears and the bile mass leaks out – which is painfully felt by the body.
How a herniated disc occurs
The gelatinous nucleus of an intervertebral disc consists of tie fluid. In order for it to remain elastic, it must be supplied with nutrients which it can only obtain from water: The nucleus absorbs fluid when lying down, which increases its volume. When standing, water is again squeezed out, causing the disc to shrink. If not enough nutrients are absorbed due to one-sided loading, Harden the intervertebral discs and become brittle.
As a result, the fibrous ring tears and disc tie leaks into the spinal nerve canal (spinal canal). There it presses either laterally or centrally on the nerves. Due to the Contact between nerve root and disc tie Inflammation occurs, and this bodily reaction causes the actual pain.
In principle, a herniated disc is nothing more than a wear and tear of the body. The pain results from the fact that the Spinal cord constricted becomes or Spinal nerves crushed or. inflamed become.
Duration of a herniated disc
In fact, by far not all herniated discs manifest themselves in pain; some remain undetected. In the case of a herniated disc with an inflammatory reaction, however, patience is required: with conservative therapy, it takes normally around 6-8 weeks until healing.
But beware: the fact that the pain has disappeared does not mean that the spine is now completely fit and healthy again. After a herniated disc, it is all the more important to regularly stabilizing, strengthening exercises to prevent further prolapse of the disc.
The chronic herniated disc
A noticeable herniated disc is without question always very unpleasant. However, the situation only becomes really problematic when the Herniated disc chronic becomes. This can happen if one permanently adopts a protective posture due to the pain and the Rest period too long lasts.
In the case of a chronic herniated disc, the body "learns" the back pain, so to speak, and classifies it as commonplace. Conservative therapy is then much less effective, so that under some circumstances a surgery is necessary will. The best prevention against a chronic herniated disc is therefore to keep the grace period as short as possible.
Protrusion: What is a bulging disc??
Apart from this, the intervertebral discs can cause pain due to a so-called protrusion. In this case, the fibrous ring remains intact, but the gelatinous filling and thus a Part of the ring curves forward. The disc loses its original shape. Presses again on a nerve root. Not to be confused with Protrusion (Protrusion) with the prolapse, the herniated disc just described.
What to do in the event of a slipped disc?
Don't worry: Of course, not every pain in the neck or lower back is automatically a herniated disc. If the severe pain but directly after a certain movement If the pain is not a herniated disc, it is most likely a prolapse or, alternatively, lumbago.
Try to have your Register symptoms as accurately as possible. Can the pain be located very specifically or is it rather diffuse? Do you feel only pain or also a feeling of numbness? The more severe these symptoms, the sooner you should have a See a doctor. The examination can determine exactly where the pain is coming from.
For this purpose, the physician performs, for example, the Lasègue test The test is carried out to determine how far the extended leg can be raised in the supine position without causing pain in the hip. Also on the basis of the medical history a specialist can often already assess whether a herniated disc is likely or not.
cervical or lumbar spine – where does the herniated disc occur?
The most stressed part of the spine is the lumbar region. Accordingly, a herniated disc occurs in most cases in the cervical spine lower part of the lumbar spine occurs at the transition to the coccyx. If we go by the numbering of the individual vertebrae from top to bottom, we are dealing with the vertebrae L1-L5.
If the Herniated disc in the cervical spine is also usually the lower end affected, where the cervical spine merges into the thoracic spine. Affected in such a case are the 5. and 6. or the 6. and 7. cervical vertebrae; one speaks of a cervical disc herniation.
Of course also in the thoracic spine a herniated disc possible, but rather a rare phenomenon. After all, the lumbar and cervical spine are under the most prere in everyday life, whether due to bending forward, turning the head or similar movements.