Dr. Stefano Sinicropi, M.D.

Spine pain is one of the most common places for discomfort to develop, and in some instances your new symptoms are caused by a herniated disc. But what is a herniated disc, and are the symptoms you’re experiencing suggesting that you may have suffered a disc herniation? We take a closer look at what a herniated disc typically feels like in today’s blog.

Did I Herniate A Disc In My Back?

Before we dive into the heart of this blog, let’s quickly take a look at the basic anatomy of the spine so you can better understand what it means to suffer a disc herniation. Between each vertebra in your spine sits a softer, flexible disc whose purpose is to help take stress off the vertebral segments and facilitate bending, twisting and similar movements in the spinal column. These fibrous spinal discs have a hard outer layer that engulfs a soft nucleus center, and a herniation occurs when the outer area ruptures, allowing the soft gel-like center to push through the tear and irritate nearby spinal nerves.

Discs can herniate for a number of reasons, and while it generally takes a fair amount of force to cause a disc herniation, your discs can weaken as you get older, meaning less stressful actions can end up resulting in a herniated disc. Lifting heavy objects without proper form is a common cause of herniated discs, but they can also occur during athletics, because of a fall or as a result of a forceful sneeze in a weakened spinal column.

But what exactly does a herniated disc feel like? Because a herniated disc oftentimes impacts nearby spinal nerves, symptoms will vary from person to person based on the location and extent of the nerve compression. Many back injuries present with similar symptoms, so it’s wise to head to your primary care physician or a spine specialist if you believe you’re dealing with a potentially herniated disc, but some common symptoms of the condition include:

• Pain at the site of the herniation
• Pain, numbness or a pins-and-needles-like sensation that radiates down the extremities
• Weakness in the nearest extremity
• Inhibited gait or range of motion

Discomfort that radiates down the legs typically suggests that the herniation has occurred in the lower (lumbar) section of the spine, while symptoms that traverse down the shoulders and arms indicate that the herniation is likely located in the upper (cervical) portion of the spine. Symptoms can affect both the arms or the legs if the herniation occurs in the mid spine (thoracic), but because this area of the spine is more stable compared to its ends, it’s rarer for the herniation to develop in this part of the spine.

Fortunately, most disc herniations can heal without surgical intervention, but that doesn’t mean you should expect to simply lay in bed until the issue has healed. While rest and anti-inflammatory pain medications can play a role in your recovery, the two biggest points of emphasis during your rehabilitation will be physical therapy and posture improvements. Physical therapy is the more important of the two, as you’ll gradually work to strengthen your core muscles and other structures that in turn take stress off the recovering disc, allowing healing to progress and reducing the risk of a subsequent herniation in the future. Posture improvements will also help to ensure stress is dispersed uniformly across the spine so no areas or discs are subjected to excessive strain simply because you have unideal posture. Most patients make a full recovery within 12 weeks or less.

Surgery to address a herniated disc has a high success rate, but most patients don’t progress to this point, and your surgeon can walk you through the specifics of your operation and recovery plan should it come to this point, but we’re confident we can help you overcome your disc herniation without the need for a minimally invasive procedure.

If you believe you may be dealing with a herniated disc, or you simply want to figure out what is causing your spine discomfort, pick up the phone and connect with Dr. Sinicropi and the team at Midwest Spine & Brain Institute. We’ll provide a comprehensive diagnosis and individualized treatment plan for whatever spinal condition you’re dealing with. Give our team a call today at (651) 430-3800.

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