With a herniated disc, the first symptom, even before movement restrictions, the tingling or numbness sensations, is pain. A typical symptom of a herniated disc is pain radiating from the back to the buttocks or from the leg to the foot. This phenomenon is due to the fact that in a herniated disc nerve roots are compressed by leaking disc material.
How is a herniated disc tested?
To confirm the initial suspicion of a herniated disc in the case of such pain in the back, various simple tests are suitable, including the Lasègue test: An alternative or supplement to the Lasègue test is the Bragard test: In the case of a herniated disc or spinal stenosis in the cervical spine, a radiating pain is heard from the neck area into the arm and fingers.
- The patient lies flat on his back while the doctor/physiotherapist slowly bends his stretched leg towards the head. If a stretch pain develops in the back area, this can be an indication of a herniated disc.
- Here, the patient lies on his stomach and the doctor/physiotherapist first bends the patient’s stretched leg in the hip joint and then bends the foot towards the shin. Here, too, pain indicates the presence of a slipped disc.
Herniated disc pain in the leg
Pain in the leg occurs mainly when the herniated disc occurs in the lumbar region. The most common is the herniated disc between the fourth and fifth lumbar vertebrae (L4/L5) or between the fifth lumbar vertebra and the first coccyx vertebra (L5/S1). If the pain radiates into the foot, the possibility of a so-called chewing syndrome should be considered.
This is when the nerve roots of the coccyx region are affected. In this case, the pain is often associated with a so-called breeches anesthesia. This means that there is a loss of sensation of touch in the genital and buttock region as well as on the inner sides of the thighs. Often, this is accompanied by impairments of urinary or stool continence. You will find exercises and therapy options for an existing herniated disc in the articles:
- Exercises for a herniated disc
- Physiotherapy slipped disc
All articles in this series:
