Disc Herniation

Herniated discs can occur anywhere along the spine and may be caused by a strain or injury. If you suffer anything from a dull ache to electric-like nerve pain, the board-certified orthopedic surgeons at Austin Sports Medicine, serving the community in and around Central and South Austin, as well as Bee Cave, Cedar Park, and Pflugerville, Texas, can evaluate you for a disc herniation. Don’t wait to seek relief. Call the office or request an appointment online today.

What is a disc herniation?

You have 24 vertebrae in your cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine, and they’re separated by 23 rubbery discs that serve to cushion the bones and absorb shock. They also help with your spine’s flexibility. 

The discs are like donuts full of a jelly-like fluid. If any of these discs are damaged through compression, injury, or strain, they can open or bulge, leaking out fluid that irritates nearby nerves. Anyone with a slipped, ruptured, or bulging disc is describing a herniation.

Technically, any disc in your spine can suffer herniation, but they most often happen in your lower back and neck.

What causes a disc herniation?

A disc herniation most often occurs due to injury or the aging process. As you age, your discs start to lose flexibility and can even wear out, so they’re more likely to experience damage. 

Physical movements such as sudden twisting and bending can cause a herniation, especially if it’s a movement you don’t do often.

What are the symptoms of a disc herniation?

A disc herniation may cause just mild symptoms, but if it puts pressure on surrounding nerve roots, it can be quite painful. You may have weakness, pain, and numbness along the affected nerve.

In some cases, a herniated disc causes few or only mild symptoms. When your herniated disc applies pressure to surrounding nerve roots, however, a variety of uncomfortable symptoms can arise, including weakness, pain, and numbness along the affected nerve.

For example, a disc herniation in your neck can cause weakness, numbness, and pain in your shoulders, arms, hands, and fingers. If the herniated disc is located in your lower spine, you may have pain radiating down your leg into your foot.

Herniated discs can lead to other conditions, such as spinal stenosis. 

How is a disc herniation treated?

Your treatment plan is customized to the location of your disc herniation, your symptoms, and your personal preferences. Your specialist provides a combination of treatments for disc herniation, both operative and nonoperative. Therapies typically include:

• Pain-relieving medications
• Chiropractic manipulations
• Physical therapy

If your disc herniation is serious, your surgeon may recommend surgery, such as a discectomy, laminotomy, or spinal fusion.

If you suffer pain related to a herniated disc, call Austin Sports Medicine or schedule an appointment online today.