Evidence of a bulging disc may range from mild tingling and numbness to moderate or severe pain, depending on the severity. In most cases, when a bulging disc has reached this stage it is near or at herniation. Tingling or pain in the fingers, hands, arms, neck or shoulders.
Discs that become herniated usually are in an early stage of degeneration. The spinal canal has limited space, which is inadequate for the spinal nerve and the displaced herniated disc fragment. Due to this displacement, the disc presses on spinal nerves, often producing pain, which may be severe.
L5 symptoms include pain in lower back and/or pain in the outside of lower leg, down to toes, which may include numbness, weakness and tingling.
Self care: In most cases, the pain from a herniated disc will get better within a couple days and completely resolve in 4 to 6 weeks. Restricting your activity, ice/heat therapy, and taking over the counter medications will help your recovery.
This herniation of the disc can result in a large bulge that can press on nearby nerve roots, causing pain. However, herniated discs don't always hurt. In fact, it's entirely possible to have a herniated disc and not know it. Herniated discs only cause pain when the herniated area pushes on a nerve root in the spine.
Therefore if you have an onset of back pain, even if you do have a disc bulge or prior history of one, it may be caused by something else and not the disc. Is it permanent? Disc bulges are not permanent. The disc is a fluid filled structure and therefore has the capacity to heal, resolve and be re-absorbed.
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.
As the disc loses shape, a slight bulge may form near the injured area of the annulus fibrosus. Eventually, the inner nucleus pulposus breaks through the walls of the outer disc and moves into the spinal canal. This can create nerve compression, as well as lead to painful or debilitating symptoms.
He explains that it's best to be up about as much as possible; complete bed rest for a herniated disc is not recommended. Many patients with a slipped disc find that sleeping in a recliner chair is most comfortable.
Most importantly, an L4-L5 disc bulge can lead to prolonged pain and other, more serious conditions like spondylolisthesis if you delay treatment. Spondylolisthesis is a condition in which a vertebra shifts or slips, and can cause significant pain that may require surgery to fix.
L5-S1 Disc Bulge Symptoms
This process is absolutely normal and is a part of aging and happens with everyone. L5-S1 bulging discs are most common as they take the stress and weight of the body. The symptoms experienced in the lower back can be terribly painful.
Seek emergency medical attention if you have: Worsening symptoms. Pain, numbness or weakness can increase to the point that they hamper your daily activities. Bladder or bowel dysfunction.
If you experience any of the severe herniated disc symptoms below, contact your doctor immediately: Loss of bowel and/or bladder control, loss of feeling in your lower extremities (legs and feet)**:** These symptoms, which may be caused by a lumbar (low back) herniated disc, may be related to cauda equina syndrome.
Most people are able to work with a herniated disc but if the pain gets too severe you may have to take time off until the pain, numbness and tingling resolve. That may take up to six weeks.
Compared with a bulging disk, a herniated disk is more likely to cause pain because it generally protrudes farther and is more likely to irritate nerve roots. The irritation can be from compression of the nerve or, much more commonly, the herniation causes a painful inflammation of the nerve root.
Herniated discs are a common cause of disability, and many patients are recommended for surgery as their first course of action to rid them of their pain. However, nearly 90% of patients with disc herniations don't require surgery.
Yes! Chiropractic care is the preferred treatment method for many patients suffering from a bulging disc. It is non-invasive and does not require drugs or injections of any kind. Chiropractic can help provide you with improved mobility, decreased pain, and overall better quality of life.
If a bulging disc is untreated, the symptoms will become worse as the constant pressure on the nerve intensifies the sensations. This can also cause issues with walking, and even while holding objects, as the pressure impedes the ability of the nerves to transmit information properly.
Ways to Manage Herniated Disc Pain
Wearing flat or low-heeled shoes to relieve pressure on your spine. Carrying weighty objects close to your body. Keeping your back straight and bending with your knees and hips when lifting an object, as opposed to bending over and lifting.
Skip movements that involve significant axial loading on the lower back, such as squats and leg presses. Avoid toe-touches, sit-ups, and yoga poses that worsen the pain and lead to significant bending of the back.
The function of the affected nerve root is then altered, and you may feel a burning pain along with numbness, weakness, and/or tingling along the front and/or back of your thigh, leg, and/or foot. These symptoms are commonly referred to as sciatica.
A disc herniation (sometimes called a "slipped disc") occurs when a piece of a spinal disc bulges or ruptures and slips out of place, squeezing a spinal nerve. This may cause leg pain, leg weakness, leg numbness, cauda equina syndrome, and/or low back pain.
There are four stages: (1) disc protrusion (2) prolapsed disc (3) disc extrusion (4) sequestered disc.
Conditions affecting the L5-S1 spinal motion segment are usually treated with nonsurgical methods. If the lower back and/or leg symptoms worsen or do not improve despite these treatments, or in case of certain medical emergencies, such as tumors or cauda equina syndrome, surgery may be recommended.