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Scientific Chiropractor: Herniated Disc Signs and Symptoms

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Herniated discs are a common condition that can occur anywhere along the back or spine, but most often affects the lower back or neck region of the spine.

 

Also known as a slipped disc or ruptured disc, a herniated disc develops when one or several of the pads found between the vertebrae moves from position and presses on adjacent nerves, resulting in a variety of painful symptoms.

 

Herniated discs are caused by overuse injuries or trauma to the spine, nonetheless, disc conditions can also develop as a result of the normal aging process or due to degeneration. It’s also understood that there is a genetic element that leads to the development of disc herniation and disc degeneration.

 

Normal and Herniated Disc Diagrams

 

Symptoms of a herniated disc may generally include sharp or dull pain and discomfort, muscle spasm or cramping, fatigue, tingling sensations, numbness or referred pain.

 

But here is something to consider: From time to time, a disc does not cause any symptoms . That’s called an asymptomatic herniated disc. Your intervertebral disc could be bulging or herniated, but it won’t cause any symptoms, such as pain, unless it is pressing on the spinal cord, its nerve roots or individual nerves.

 

This brings up a fantastic point about herniated disc symptoms: Your symptoms are dependent on where you’ve got a herniated disc.

 

Cervical Herniated Disc Symptoms

 

If you’ve got a herniated disc or bulging disc on your neck (cervical spine), then you will experience:

 

  • Neck pain
  • Muscle tightness or cramping on your neck
  • Pain which radiates (or travels) down your arm(s) (this can be called referred pain or cervical radiculopathy)
  • Tingling in your arm(s) or hand(s)
  • Weakness in your arm(s) or hand(s)

 

Cervical Disc Herniation MRI - El Paso Chiropractor

 

Lumbar Herniated Disc Symptoms

 

A herniated disc in the low back (lumbar spine) may cause the following symptoms:

 

  • Low back pain
  • Muscle tightness or cramping in your back
  • Pain that radiates down your leg(s) (this can be known as referred pain, lumbar radiculopathy, or sciatica)
  • Tingling in your leg(s) or foot/feet
  • Weakness in your leg(s) or foot/feet
  • Really infrequent: Loss of bowel or bladder control (Please, even if this occurs, seek prompt medical care.)

 

Lumbar Herniated Disc MRI

 

A Note on Referred Pain Brought on by a Herniated Disc

 

Referred pain means that you’ve got pain in another part of your body as a result of the intervertebral disc issue. As an example, in case you’ve got a bulging disc or a herniated disc in your low back (lumbar spine), you may have known pain in your leg. This is called lumbar radiculpathy or sciatica, a shooting pain that can extend from the buttock into the leg and to the foot. Only one leg is typically affected.

 

When you’ve got a herniated disc in your neck (cervical spine), then you may have referred pain down your arm and into your hand. Arm and shoulder pain caused by a herniated disc is also called radiculopathy.

 

Lower Back Pain: Causes & Symptoms (Video)

 

 

Herniated Disc Symptoms: When Should You Find a Doctor?

 

The pain from a herniated disc can make it hard to enjoy your daily life; it may make it tough to walk, sit, or even sleep comfortably. If your disc symptoms linger for more than fourteen days, you should make a doctor appointment. Should you experience unexpected onset of pain (after lifting something heavy incorrectly, as an instance), call your physician.

 

It’s very rare, but herniated discs can sometimes affect bowel or bladder control (as mentioned above). If this occurs, seek medical attention immediately for a proper diagnosis, followed up by treatment.

 

The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic and spinal injuries and conditions. To discuss options on the subject matter, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900Green-Call-Now-Button-24H-150x150-2.png

 

By Dr. Alex Jimenez

 

Additional Topics: Sciatica

 

Lower back pain is one of the most commonly reported symptoms among the general population. Sciatica, is well-known group of symptoms, including lower back pain, numbness and tingling sensations, which often describe the source of an individual’s lumbar spine issues. Sciatica can be due to a variety of injuries and/or conditions, such as spinal misalignment, or subluxation, disc herniation and even spinal degeneration.

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Professional Scope of Practice *

The information herein on "Scientific Chiropractor: Herniated Disc Signs and Symptoms" is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional or licensed physician and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make healthcare decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified healthcare professional.

Blog Information & Scope Discussions

Our information scope is limited to Chiropractic, musculoskeletal, physical medicines, wellness, contributing etiological viscerosomatic disturbances within clinical presentations, associated somatovisceral reflex clinical dynamics, subluxation complexes, sensitive health issues, and/or functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions.

We provide and present clinical collaboration with specialists from various disciplines. Each specialist is governed by their professional scope of practice and their jurisdiction of licensure. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for the injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system.

Our videos, posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate to and directly or indirectly support our clinical scope of practice.*

Our office has reasonably attempted to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research study or studies supporting our posts. We provide copies of supporting research studies available to regulatory boards and the public upon request.

We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation of how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez, DC, or contact us at 915-850-0900.

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Blessings

Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, RN*, CCST, IFMCP*, CIFM*, ATN*

email: coach@elpasofunctionalmedicine.com

Licensed as a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) in Texas & New Mexico*
Texas DC License # TX5807, New Mexico DC License # NM-DC2182

Licensed as a Registered Nurse (RN*) in Florida
Florida License RN License # RN9617241 (Control No. 3558029)
License Compact Status: Multi-State License: Authorized to Practice in 40 States*
Presently Matriculated: ICHS: MSN* FNP (Family Nurse Practitioner Program)

Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, RN* CIFM*, IFMCP*, ATN*, CCST
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