A Comprehensive Guide to Spine Disc Herniation: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

A herniated disc is also commonly known as a slipped, ruptured or bulging disc. It is one of the most common causes of neck, back and leg pain. Fortunately, most herniated discs will heal on their own with simple treatments or at-home measures.

Herniated discs occur most frequently in people between the ages of 30 and 50. The condition has been shown to affect men twice as often as women. 

What causes a herniated disc?

While a strain or injury may cause a herniated disc, the most common underlying cause is material degeneration of the disc due to age. As this degeneration progresses, discs may rupture with relatively small movements. Bending, lifting and twisting are common causes of a disc herniation. 

What are the symptoms of a herniated disc?

Symptoms may vary greatly depending on the location of the herniated disc. If the disc is not directly pressing on a nerve, patients may experience back or neck spasms and muscle tenderness. However, if the disc is directly pressing on a nerve, there may be severe pain, numbness or weakness in the affected arm or leg.

Most herniated discs will occur in the lower back, but they may also occur in the neck.
Specific symptoms can include:

  • Arm or leg pain
  • Numbness or tingling of the arm or leg
  • Weakness throughout the arm or leg
  • Sciatica (pain radiation from the buttock down the thigh and leg)

What are the treatments for a herniated disc?

Fortunately, most herniated discs do not require surgery. The initial treatment for a herniated disc is usually conservative and non-surgical. If the pain is only mild, a herniated disc is frequently treated with anti-inflammatory medications, muscle relaxants and physical therapy.

Your physician may recommend surgery if conservative treatment options are not successful or if there is loss of neurological function (muscle weakness, loss of sensation, bowel or bladder incontinence). As with any surgery, your physician will make this determination based on your overall health, age and health issues.

If you are suffering from a herniated disc, the exceptional physicians of New Jersey Brain and Spine may be able to help. Contact us today for an appointment or second opinion.

For more than 30 years, our physicians have compassionately cared for more than 40,000 patients with complex conditions.