What Is a Herniated Disc?
Your backbone, or spine, is made up of 26 bones called vertebrae. In between them are soft discs filled with a jelly-like substance. These discs cushion the vertebrae and keep them in place. As you age, the discs break down or degenerate. As they do, they lose their cushioning ability. This can lead to pain if the back is stressed.
A herniated disc is a disc that ruptures. This allows the jelly-like center of the disc to leak, irritating the nearby nerves. This can cause sciatica or back pain.
Most discs rupture (or herniate) in the lower part of your spine (also called your lumbar spine). These discs usually rupture (break) between the fourth and fifth lumbar bone and also between the fifth lumbar bone and the first sacral bone (close to your tailbone).
Because your lumbar bones (or vertebrae) are in the lower part of your spine, having a problem with the discs in your lumbar vertebrae is also called lumbar disc disease. People with lumbar disc disease often have bulging discs or herniated (ruptured) discs.
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auses & Symptoms of Herniated Discs & Lumbar Disc Disease
What Can Cause a Herniated Disc in the Lower Back?
For most people, herniated or bulging discs happen simply because of aging. As we get older, our spinal discs naturally weaken and break down. Injuries can also make herniated discs worse and cause them to rupture more.
Symptoms of Herniated Discs
People can have different symptoms for lumbar disc disease depending on where their nerve has ruptured and what nerve root the herniated disc material is pressing down on. Some common symptoms of lumbar disc disease include the following:
- Irregular or continual back pain. Sometimes coughing, sneezing, moving, or event standing up for a long time can make back pain from a ruptured disc worse.
- Sciatica
- Foot or leg numbness
- Poor reflexes in your ankle or knee
- Spasms in your back muscles
- Bowel or bladder problems
- Leg muscle weakness
It’s also easy to confuse lumbar disc disease symptoms with other conditions. It’s important to see your doctor to get an accurate diagnosis.
Lumbar Disc Disease Complications
If left untreated, lumbar disc disease can cause numbness or weakness in your legs, along with bowel and bladder problems. It can also cause severe back and leg pain that can get in the way of your everyday activities.
Treatment
Your doctor will diagnose a herniated disc with a physical exam and, sometimes, imaging tests. With treatment, most people recover. Treatments include rest, pain and anti-inflammatory medicines, physical therapy, and keeping your weight at a healthy level.
Your doctor may also recommend using a special pillow or device that supports your lower back muscles and spine, or education on correct body posture and positions.
If these treatments don’t work, your doctor may recommend spine surgery, such as a discectomy or endoscopic spine surgery, to remove your ruptured disc.
Note: Some of this content is provided and made available by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
