This pain might shoot into your arm or leg when you cough, sneeze or move into certain positions. Pain is often described as sharp or burning. Numbness or tingling. People who have a herniated disk often have radiating numbness or tingling in the body part served by the affected nerves.
The most serious complication from a herniated disc is the development of the cauda equina syndrome. This results when a very large fragment of disc material is ruptured into the spinal canal in the area where the nerves that control the bowels and bladder travel before they leave the spine.
Of the three types of herniated discs, sequestered herniation is often the most severe. It occurs when the nucleus erupts out of the outer layer of the disc. The ruptured disc material can migrate to different locations along the spinal canal and become trapped.
Tingling, numbness (pins and needles), and an aching or burning sensation in the leg and on top of the foot are widespread. In severe cases, an L4-L5 slipped disc leads to weakness in the legs or feet. Some may even have an inability to walk, leading to an inability to stand.
Fortunately, the majority of herniated discs do not require surgery. With time, the symptoms of sciatica/radiculopathy improve in approximately 9 out of 10 people. The time to improve varies, ranging from a few days to a few weeks.
Herniated disc surgery can sometimes cause numbness or weakness in one or both legs. Paralysis is one of the rarest of all potential complications (1 in 10,000) of herniated disc surgery.
For example, a large herniated disc can be completely painless, while a muscle spasm from a simple back strain may cause excruciating pain. This means that the severity of pain is not a determining factor for identifying a herniated disc.
If you have a herniated lumbar disc, you may feel pain that radiates from your low back area, down one or both legs, and sometimes into your feet (called sciatica). You may feel a pain like an electric shock that is severe whether you stand, walk, or sit.
The severe case of a herniated disk is a medical emergency because of intolerable pain and discomfort. Some of its symptoms include lower back pain, sharp leg or arm pain, loss of bladder or bowel control and numbness, weakness or tingling sensation in the foot and/or leg.
An untreated herniated disk can get worse. That's especially true if you continue the activities that caused it — for instance, if it developed because of your work. A worsening ruptured disk may cause chronic (ongoing) pain and loss of control or sensation in the affected area.
Once a healthy disc herniates, it will never return to its normal anatomical state—the disease or injury is permanent in nature.
Stages three and four: disc extrusion and sequestration
In the final stage, not only does the nucleus leak out, but it begins dripping out of the disc. In stages three and four, pain is often accompanied by tingling, numbness, and weakness in the nearby tissues.
A severely herniated disc can cause paralysis. Disc herniation is most common in the lower back (lumbar spine) and neck (cervical spine). Causes include age and sudden injury, such as from falling or heavy lifting.
Herniated disk pain can sometimes be intermittent. People can have minor pain that's always there or stronger pain that comes and goes depending on the activity they're doing. Varying pain typically has to do with movement and the position of the body.
Herniated Disc Work Restrictions
A herniated disc can cause severe pain, making walking impossible. This can cause muscle weakness and reduced motor function, impacting walking. If you have a herniated disc, you would not be able to do a variety of different job tasks.
Summary of background data: Lumbar herniated discs often cause muscle weakness, reduced motor function, and change in walking capacity.
Your doctor might recommend surgery as an option for your herniated disc if: Your symptoms have lasted at least 6 weeks and make it hard to do your normal activities, and other treatments haven't helped. You need to get better quickly because of your job or to get back to your other activities as soon as possible.
If the pain does not subside within a few weeks or worsens, surgery may be necessary. If you continue to experience numbness, weakness, have difficulty standing or walking or have loss of bladder control, you may be a candidate for spinal surgery for your disc herniation.
Most herniated discs do not require surgery and typically improve with time. Surgery is therefore a last resort treatment after other options like oral steroids, anti-inflammatories, physical therapy, and even corticosteroid injections may have proven ineffective.
Loss of reflexes: due to pressure on your nerves, you may notice slower or limited reflexes to various stimuli. For example, you may find that with a cervical herniated disc, your ability to react to a ball being thrown your way or a dish falling from the counter may be much more limited or even nonexistent.
Unlike mechanical back pain, herniated disc pain is often burning or stinging, and may radiate into the lower extremity. Furthermore, in more severe cases, there can be associated with weakness or sensation changes.