Can a herniated disc cause other problems?

Can a herniated disc cause other problems?

A herniated disc in your lower back may cause significant or chronic lower back pain, or it may cause sciatica, a shooting pain in your buttocks, thigh, or calf that may even extend all the way into your foot. You may also experience numbness, tingling, or muscle weakness anywhere along this nerve path.

What is the most serious complication of a herniated disk?

Before Surgery The most serious complication from a herniated disc is the development of the cauda equina syndrome. This results when a very large fragment of disc material is ruptured into the spinal canal in the area where the nerves that control the bowels and bladder travel before they leave the spine.

What happens if herniated disc goes untreated?

If you leave a herniated disc untreated, you may experience intense, sharp pains, partial paralysis, or the inability to control bowel movements in relatively dire situations.

How do I know if my herniated disc is serious?

Here are 3 unique signs of a herniated or protruding disc to help you identify the underlying cause of your lower back problem:

1. Pain while sitting. An activity that exerts tremendous pressure on your lower spinal discs is sitting.
2. Radiating pain into your leg (sciatica)
3. Pain aggravated by specific activities.

Is a herniated disc a lifetime problem?

Herniated discs in the lumbar spine are fairly common and having one doesn’t sentence you to a lifetime of back problems.

What body systems are affected by herniated discs?

A herniated cervical disc can cause pain, weakness, numbness, and tingling in the neck, shoulder, arm, and/or hand, which is referred to as “radiculopathy”. Similar to Sciatica, this is caused by the herniated portion of the disc compressing a nerve that transmits impulses to the shoulders, arms or hands.

What are the long term effects of herniated disc?

An untreated, severe slipped disc can lead to permanent nerve damage. In very rare cases, a slipped disc can cut off nerve impulses to the cauda equina nerves in your lower back and legs. If this occurs, you may lose bowel or bladder control. Another long-term complication is known as saddle anesthesia.

Can a herniated disc paralyze you?

With a herniated disc, the capsule cracks or breaks, and the nucleus squeezes out. This can irritate the spinal cord or nearby nerves, causing weakness and numbness in the arms or legs. A severely herniated disc can cause paralysis.

How long can a herniated disc last?

Self care: In most cases, the pain from a herniated disc will get better within a couple days and completely resolve in 4 to 6 weeks. Restricting your activity, ice/heat therapy, and taking over the counter medications will help your recovery.

Can a chiropractor fix herniated disc?

To treat a herniated disc, your chiropractor will develop a treatment plan that may include spinal manipulation—also known as adjustments—and other chiropractic techniques to help ease your herniated disc symptoms.

Can a herniated disc cause no pain at all?

In some cases, people with herniated discs feel zero pain because the disc doesn’t press on any nerves. But for those that do feel pain, the timing and pain level will vary depending on how much the disc is pressing on the nerve.

What are the symptoms of a herniated disc in the lumbar spine?

The most common symptom associated with a herniated disc in the lumbar spine is leg pain (also known as sciatica). Approximately 90% of herniated discs occur at L4-L5 and L5-S1, causing pain in the L5 or S1 nerve that radiates down the sciatic nerve. Symptoms of a herniated disc at these locations are described below:

Can a herniated lumbar disc cause bowel problems?

This is called a disc herniation or “slipped disc.” The lower, or lumbar, regions of the spine are a common area for disc herniation. Although pain is the most common symptom of lumbar disc herniation, complications involving the bladder and the bowel may occur in rare cases. An L1/L2 herniation is an especially common type of disc herniation.

What happens if you have a herniated disk in your arm?

A herniated disk can irritate nearby nerves and result in pain, numbness or weakness in an arm or leg.

What not to do with herniated discs?

Avoid Diving. Diving, especially high diving, can worsen the symptoms of a herniated disk. This is an activity that you should avoid because the velocity in which your head comes into contact with the water allows a significant force to be placed on your neck.

Should I have surgery for my herniated disc?

A herniated disc neck surgery will only be necessary in the most severe cases of a herniated disc. A doctor will typically only recommend such a surgery if improvement is not seen after several weeks, or if the compressed nerve is causing neurological issues.

What can make a herniated disc worse?

Exercising incorrectly or doing activities that put too much pressure on the affected joints can actually aggravate a herniated disc and put more pressure on surrounding nerves. Heavy weight lifting, bending, and twisting can certainly cause additional problems for a degenerating disc.

When do I need surgery for a herniated disk?

Surgery for a herniated disk would be considered if there is nerve damage, if pain and other symptoms are so severe that they interfere with daily activities, or if non-surgical treatment is not effective. Surgery often can resolve herniated disk symptoms more quickly than other treatments.