Slipped disc – anatomy
The slipped disc in the lumbar spine outweighs the slipped disc in the cervical spine and BWS. More often than the complete herniated disc, the preliminary stage is disc protrusion. The spinal column is divided into the sections cervical spine (7 vertebrae), thoracic spine (12 vertebrae + ribs), lumbar spine (5 vertebrae) and sacrococcyx.
A physiological curvature due to a lordosis in the cervical and lumbar spine and a kyphotic position of the thoracic and sacroiliac joints is evident. The curvature provides for better absorption of the forces acting on the spine through normal everyday activities. The intervertebral discs are located between the 1st cervical vertebra and the 5th lumbar vertebra.
In the worst case, the disc material completely loses contact with the intervertebral disc (sequester). Depending on the direction in which the intervertebral disc material is displaced, the nerve root or spinal cord may be affected.Protrusions are often only random findings, which are discovered on the basis of exclusion tests and usually do not cause any symptoms. Although an imaging procedure definitely indicates an injury, it does not say anything about the overall symptom picture.
Therefore, it is important to pay attention to the exact details of the patient in case of a herniated disc. The most frequently affected area of a herniated disc lies between the 5th and 7th cervical vertebrae and the 4th – 5th lumbar vertebrae, in this area there are strong static and dynamic loads. In the area of BWS, herniated discs occur rather rarely, since the vertebral bodies are additionally supported by ribs, which can also absorb forces, thus relieving the intervertebral discs.
Depending on the severity of a herniated disc, it can lead to lumbalgia (local joint pain), ischialgia (nerve pain radiating to the extremities), sensitivity disorders in the corresponding skin areas innervated by nerves from the specific segments (dermatome), weakening or loss of the identifying muscles, muscle tension and, of course, a relieving posture (usually bent posture). It is important that all symptoms are clarified by the doctor. The doctor will have a CT, MRI and X-ray image taken to exclude above all affected surrounding joints (ISG, hip).
