Why do herniated discs cause pain

It usually gets better slowly with rest, gentle exercise and painkillers. Not all slipped discs cause symptoms. Many people will never know they have slipped a disc. Sometimes the pain may be a result of an injury such as a sprain or strain , but often there's no obvious reason. Back pain is rarely caused by anything serious. If the pain is very bad, you may need to rest at first.

But start gentle exercise as soon as you can — it'll help you get better faster. The type of exercise is not important, just gradually increase your activity level. Alternate painkillers such as ibuprofen and paracetamol. Because it is considered degenerative, there is usually a progressive, gradual onset of symptoms. It can cause pain in the buttocks, legs, or back. It can also affect your ability to walk. Bulging discs usually affect multiple discs.

This condition develops over time and can cause other disc degeneration-related issues, like lumbar stenosis narrowing of spinal canal. Fortunately, there is a spectrum of treatment options. Short-term treatment can mean taking anti-inflammatory medications, especially during flare-ups. Steroid injections may be considered if there is significant nerve pain.

Long-term treatment usually involves a self-directed exercise program that you start with a physical therapist and then transition to doing at home. If your bulging discs have caused lumbar stenosis and the symptoms are affecting your quality of life, surgery called lumbar decompression is an option.

The procedure is very patient-specific based on the type and level of stenosis, but, in general, it involves decompressing the spinal canal so that the nerves are no longer compressed. If a disc herniates and leaks some of its inner material, though, the disc can quickly go from easing daily life to aggravating a nerve, triggering back pain and possibly pain and nerve symptoms down the leg.

Lumbar herniated disc most often affects people aged 35 to Watch: Lumbar Herniated Disc Video. Disc herniation symptoms usually start for no apparent reason. Lumbar herniated discs are a widespread medical problem, most often affecting people age 35 to This article covers how a lumbar herniated disc develops, how it is diagnosed, and the available surgical and non-surgical treatment options.

A tough outer ring called the annulus protects the gel-like interior of each disc, known as the nucleus pulposus. Due to aging and general wear and tear, the discs lose some of the fluid that makes them pliable and spongy. As a result, the discs tend to become flatter and harder. This process—known as disc degeneration—starts fairly early in life, often showing up in imaging tests in early adulthood.

Many people have no symptoms from a herniated disk. Surgery is usually not necessary to relieve the problem. Most herniated disks occur in the lower back, although they can also occur in the neck. Signs and symptoms depend on where the disk is situated and whether the disk is pressing on a nerve. They usually affect one side of the body.

You can have a herniated disk without symptoms. You might not know you have it unless it shows up on a spinal image. Seek medical attention if your neck or back pain travels down your arm or leg, or if you also have numbness, tingling or weakness. Disk herniation is most often the result of a gradual, aging-related wear and tear called disk degeneration.

As you age, your disks become less flexible and more prone to tearing or rupturing with even a minor strain or twist. Most people can't pinpoint the cause of their herniated disk.