Herniated Disc

Many sufferers are hit by a herniated disc all of a sudden as a stabbing pain, others live with it for years without noticing it: a herniated disc can have a wide variety of symptoms. The types of treatment for a herniated disc are just as varied. While physiotherapy and painkillers are sufficient in most cases, surgery is occasionally required. About 80 percent of Germans have sought medical treatment for back pain at least once in their lives. A slipped disc is one of the most common problems. This condition can be prevented with a healthy lifestyle and targeted back training.

Herniated disc: causes and development

Without the 23 intervertebral discs, our spine would be stiff. Indeed, the spine is mobile only thanks to the small elastic discs, which lie as a buffer between the individual vertebrae. They consist of a gelatinous core, which is enclosed and held together by a firm fibrous ring. Like sponges, these shock absorbers soak up fluid and nutrients from the tissue fluid at night and release them again during the day when stress is applied.

With age, however, the intervertebral discs lose their ability to regenerate and wear out. As a result, not only does the soft core become less elastic, but the protective annulus also becomes porous and forms cracks. This allows fluid to leak from the core and spread to the surrounding tissue. The disc “protrudes,” and a herniated disc is the result.

Herniated disc: there are not always signs

Depending on where the nucleus slips, the affected person now experiences discomfort. If it presses against a nerve or the spinal cord, there may be stabbing, debilitating pain. Otherwise, a herniated disc may not cause any pain and go undetected for years.

Typical symptoms of herniated disc

In addition, the area in which a herniated disc occurs plays a role. It occurs most frequently in the lumbar spine (LWS), and the cervical spine (HWS) is affected relatively rarely. Accordingly, noticeable symptoms in the herniated disc at the cervical or lumbar spine are also quite different:

  • Usually, a herniated disc in the lumbar region is initially accompanied by symptoms such as pain in the back, which later spread to the legs and feet.
  • In the case of a herniated disc in the cervical spine, pain is more likely to occur in the shoulders, arms as well as hands.
  • If the disc presses against the spinal cord, pain in the arms and legs can be very intense, accompanied by numbness and tingling.
  • Even the sphincter muscles of the bladder and intestines can be affected.

Whether a herniated disc must now be operated on, or physiotherapy is sufficient, the attending physician must decide.

Herniated disc: treatment and therapy

With mobility tests, a computer tomography (CT) or a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a doctor can detect the severity of a herniated disc and suggest a method of treatment. An X-ray, on the other hand, is of little use in this regard, as the discs are not visible in an X-ray. In most cases, treating the patient with painkilling medications, applying heat and targeted physical therapy is sufficient.

Herniated disc: surgery rarely necessary

Only in about ten percent of cases is surgery (disc surgery) necessary. In the process, the destroyed disc tissue is removed. However, pain relief does not always occur after the operation. The scar tissue can proliferate and press on the nerve itself, causing the pain to recur.

To really get rid of discomfort after a herniated disc, sufferers must become active themselves. And with a lot of exercise. Whether regular walks or targeted equipment training in back school – anything that builds up the back and abdominal muscles also helps the intervertebral discs. After all, no surgeon or painkiller can replace a solid muscle corset that gives the intervertebral discs the stability they need.