Occurrence of muscle weakness and paralysis
If a herniated disc of the lumbar spine is already very advanced, so that there is already enormous damage to the nerve roots and nerve tracts, serious complications can arise in the course of time. A first sign of more severe damage to the nerve tracts is often the easing of pain. It could be a sign that the nerves have been damaged to the extent that they are dying and are not transmitting stimuli, including pain.
Likewise, no more stimuli can be transmitted to the muscles. The consequences are initially a weakness of the muscles. The patients have a reduced feeling and also problems to move the body parts which are supplied by the damaged nerves.
Here a treatment should be carried out as soon as possible, in which mostly a pressure relief of the nerves takes place. Otherwise, irreversible damage to the nerve root can occur. The signs and symptoms are then also irreversible and paralysis can also occur in the corresponding muscles in the further course of the treatment. For example, a herniated disc in the lumbar spine can develop into a loss of leg function. The patient can no longer feel one or both legs and also loses control over any coordination.
Complaints of the legs with a slipped disc of the lumbar spine
The suddenly occurring herniated disc is often accompanied by an equally sudden shooting pain, the sciatica pain. From the back, the pain shoots over the buttocks into the leg and causes a pulling in the calf and foot. Since in most cases, the disc slips off to the side, only one leg is affected by the pain. Besides pain, tingling (formication) and muscle weakness also occur. Often the affected persons cannot stand on tiptoe.
Paralysis of the bladder and rectum as a result of a herniated disc in the lumbar spine
In addition to the known complaints such as pain and paralysis, a herniated disc can also lead to a loss of function of some internal organs, since the supply via their nerve tracts may also be restricted. One of the other possible symptoms is a disorder of the bladder and bowel emptying. The patient may no longer be able to control the urine flow and it is therefore involuntary. This is often a very stressful situation for many people.
