Symptoms of a slipped disc at the sciatica

The sciatic nerve is the most powerful nerve in our body and is formed by parts of the nerve root L4 to S3. Due to its location and course, the nerve itself has good soft tissue coverage, which guarantees it relatively good protection against injuries. Nevertheless, problems can occur if, for example, there is a fracture of the thigh or compression when passing through the pelvic piriform muscle.

In addition, an intramuscular injection can injure the ischiadicus nerve if applied incorrectly. But also a slipped disc of the lumbar spine can cause nerve irritation and typical symptoms. The nerve irritation even has its own name ischialgia in medicine.

Ischialgia describes the irritation of the nerve root of the sciatic nerve and is therefore also a radiculopathy (lat. radix=root; root irritation). This causes pain, paralysis and sensory disturbances.

Classic for ischialgia is the tearing, pulling pain from the buttocks to the leg. In addition, paresthesias and restrictions in the ability to exercise are among the symptoms of sciatica due to a herniated disc. This pain can be intensified by coughing and sneezing as well as by abdominal pressure.

If there is a severe lesion of the sciatic nerve, incontinence and potency disorders may even occur. Since the sciatic nerve is formed by the nerve roots L4-S3, the symptoms correspond to those of general disc herniations of the lumbar spine. A sciatica irritation can occur with a herniated disc L4/5 as well as with a herniated disc L5/S1.

The symptoms usually get better when lying down!

Lying in bed on a softer surface often causes moderate to severe pain, while lying on straight and firm surfaces is considered to be pain-relieving. Often, a so-called step positioning also helps to alleviate the symptoms. A stepped position is achieved by placing the lower legs on a raised cube so that a 90° angle is achieved in the hip and knee joint. What else you can do against the symptoms of a herniated disc can be found under Treatment of a herniated disc

Symptoms of a slipped disc of BWS

A herniated disc of the thoracic spine occurs most rarely in comparison to the cervical and lumbar spine. One of the reasons for this is that the spinal column is less mobile in the area of 12 thoracic vertebrae. A BWS herniated disc is also called a “thoracic disc prolapse”.

In principle, the same symptoms can occur as with a cervical herniated disc: Often a herniated disc of BWS is completely asymptomatic and is only a coincidental finding during a CT or MRI examination of BWS if lumbago is suspected. In some cases, the BWS herniated disc also remains undetected and symptom-free because the patient has good back muscles which have a compensatory influence. Otherwise, the classic leading symptom is pain, which is oppressive or dull.

Mostly it is felt in the middle of the back, but it can also radiate. This is a special feature of the thoracic vertebral bodies, because they are in articulated connection with the rib heads (lat. Capita costae).

The pain can therefore radiate in a belt-shaped manner along the ribs to the front of the abdomen, if, for example, the vertebral joints are blocked by a slipped disc of the BWS. In the deep inhalation phase, in which the ribs straighten up horizontally, some patients describe the feeling of not being able to breathe in deeply. Understandably, such pain can often be dependent on movement and breathing.

In addition, there is a pressure pain in the corresponding segment and it can lead to hardening of individual muscle groups with accompanying muscle pain. Although the pain may radiate in a belt-shaped manner, the characteristic of radiance in a herniated disc of BWS is less frequent compared to the cervical and lumbar spine. The pain can be aggravated when coughing or sneezing, as this causes a slight concussion and the herniated disc increasingly irritates a nerve.

In addition to the pain, patients complain of restricted movement, muscle tension and reduced strength. Another symptomatic feature of a BWS herniated disc is the fact that it can lead to problems with the heart, such as palpitations or heart stumbling, dizziness and shortness of breath. The symptoms are partly similar to those of an angina pectoris attack, as some patients also describe a chest tightness.

If these symptoms and also signs of paralysis occur, a doctor should be consulted immediately, as in this case it is no longer a small prolapse. In general, as with any herniated disc, the severity of the prolapse plays a decisive role; it is decisive for the intensity of pain. – Pain

Paresthesia (tingling and numbness) and at worst
Paralysis.

With abdominal pain, few people think that the cause can be a herniated disc in the thoracic vertebrae. However, this is not uncommon. The herniated disc compresses spinal nerves.

This leads to belt-like sensations in the area of the BWS. The pain resulting from spinal nerve root compression in the thoracic spine region can accordingly radiate into the abdomen. The pain is usually stabbing or pulling from the back.

The intensity of the pain is often intensified by movement of the back or trunk. But also forced coughing or sneezing can increase the pain by manipulating the irritated spinal nerves. It is therefore important, after clarifying all organic causes of abdominal pain, to consider a herniated disc in the thoracic spine.