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Lumbar disc herniation
As a disc in the back degenerates, the inner portion of the disc can herniate or extrude back into the spinal canal and irritate a nerve root. This condition is called a disc herniation (or a herniated disc). Other common lay terms to describe the condition include slipped disc, bulging disc, pinched nerve, ruptured disc, or prolapsed disc.
Symptoms
When a lumbar disc herniates, pain can radiate all the way along the sciatic nerve, which runs along the back of the leg and into the foot, and these symptoms are commonly referred to as sciatica. In addition to pain, a herniated disc may cause symptoms of numbness or tingling in the leg and/or foot. Depending on where the disc herniates (and therefore which nerve root is affected), pain or other symptoms may be felt in different parts of the back of the leg and/or in the foot. Typically, symptoms are experienced only on one side of the body.
Treatments for a lumbar herniated disc
In the presence of a cauda equina syndrome in which there is incontinence, weakness and genital numbess, surgery is an emergency.
In most cases, pain from a herniated disc will get better within about six weeks. There are a variety of non-surgical care alternatives to treat the pain, including:
- Physical therapy
- Osteopathic/chiropractic manipulations
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
- Oral steroids (e.g. prednisone or methyprednisolone)
- An epidural (cortisone) injection
If the pain is severe and continues or if there is a neurological deficit, surgery may be recommended. Surgical options include:
Surgical goals include relief of nerve compression, allowing the nerve to recover as well as the relief of associated back pain.
References
External links
"Lumbar disc herniation"