Your spinal disc is at the bottom of your back, so if you have pain in your lower back, you may assume it is a slipped disc. Furthermore, the feeling of pain will differ between the two. Muscle pain will feel like post-workout soreness, while disc pain will feel debilitating and tingly.
If your symptoms seem to be soothed by massage, heat, or cold, you're more likely to have a strained muscle or tendon than a herniated disc. Ultimately, the most accurate way to confirm a herniated disc is through medical imaging.
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. Weakness.
Nerve pain can feel different from other types of back pain. Nerve pain tends to be sharp. It includes sensations of burning, tingling, and numbness. In contrast, muscular pain typically causes muscles and joints to feel stiff, achy, or tender.
Check if it's a slipped disc
lower back pain. numbness or tingling in your shoulders, back, arms, hands, legs or feet. neck pain. problems bending or straightening your back.
“Red flags” include pain that lasts more than 6 weeks; pain in persons younger than 18 years or older than 50 years; pain that radiates below the knee; a history of major trauma; constitutional symptoms; atypical pain (eg, that which occurs at night or that is unrelenting); the presence of a severe or rapidly ...
Back muscle strains typically heal with time, many within a few days, and most within 3 to 4 weeks. Most patients with mild or moderate lumbar strains make a full recovery and are free of symptoms within days, weeks, or possibly months.
Sharp pain rather than a dull ache: This could indicate a torn muscle or ligament, or a problem with an internal organ in the back or side. 2. Radiating pain: This pain "moves" or shoots to the glutes or legs, which could indicate a nerve compression condition. Radiating pain could be a sign of nerve damage.
If the pain lasts four weeks or longer. If the pain keeps getting worse as time goes by. If you are experiencing other symptoms, such as fever, major weight loss or weight gain, loss of function or weakness in extremities, bladder problems, etc.
Your doctor may order an MRI scan to help confirm the diagnosis and to learn more about which spinal nerves are affected. If you are unable to tolerate an MRI scan, a computerized tomography (CT) scan, or a CT myelogram may be ordered instead. MRI scan shows a herniated disk in the lower back (arrow).
Herniated Disk (Slipped, Ruptured or Bulging Disk) A herniated disk is also known as a slipped, ruptured or bulging disk. It's one of the most common causes of neck, back and leg pain. Most of the time, herniated disks heal on their own or with simple home-care measures.
Herniated discs can occur in any part of the spine. Herniated discs are more common in the lower back (lumbar spine), but also occur in the neck (cervical spine). The area in which pain is experienced depends on what part of the spine is affected.
For strains in lower back muscles, treatment might also include light, low-impact exercise to help maintain range of motion and build muscle strength. Walking, cycling, and swimming are some good options for staying active while recovering from lower back muscle strains.
If you're chomping at the bit to stretch your pulled muscle, just make sure to rest it for at least two to three days after the injury occurred. Once the acute pain has decreased, you can begin with gentle stretching before working on strengthening.
Sit with a back support (such as a rolled-up towel) at the curve of your back. Keep your hips and knees at a right angle. (Use a foot rest or stool if necessary.) Your legs should not be crossed and your feet should be flat on the floor.
If your symptoms don't go away after a week or two, you should see a doctor. Extreme pain. The severity of back pain can vary greatly, but if you experience sharp, shock-like pain that radiates from your lower back or neck, don't hesitate to talk to a doctor. Sudden back pain.
The good news is that in most cases — 90% of the time — pain caused by a herniated disc will go away on its own within six months. Initially, your doctor will likely recommend that you take an over-the-counter pain reliever and limit activities that cause pain or discomfort.
Most people recover from a slipped disc within six weeks without treatment. Until then there are a number of treatment options that aim to help relieve the pain and improve mobility.
A slipped disc is one of the most common causes of a pinched nerve. An L4-L5 disc bulge or slip-disc (slipped disc) pinches and leads to serious health issues, including impotence, reproduction issues, infertility, loss of bowel and bladder control, or paralysis in one or both legs.