Your skull and pelvis are connected by the vertebral column. It consists of small bones, the vertebrae, stacked on top of each other. These bones also form a protective casing for the spinal cord which consists of nerves arrival form the brain and traveling down your back. The uppermost part of the spine is behind the neck, known as cervical spine. The middle part is the thoracic spine and the lowermost part, the lumbar spine.
There are nerves branching out of the spinal cord and arrival out of the openings in the middle of the vertebrae. The vertebrae are separated by spinal discs. These discs act as cushions in the middle of the vertebrae and are filled with a soft gel like substance.
In case of too much strain on the spinal column or due to an injury or even old age, these discs may move out of place or rupture. This constricts the spinal nerves and may cause pain, feebleness and paralysis of the body, especially the lower part of the body. This is called herniation of the discs. Herniated lumbar disc signifies this condition of the disc or discs in the lumbar spine.
Symptoms
It is ordinarily the lower back which is more prone to suffer from strenuous activities and hence, herniation occurs more in the lower back or lumbar spine. The symptom recognized most widely is back pain, from a constant light tingling to the most excruciating and burning sensation. Severe pain can even immobilize patients.
Other symptoms of herniated lumbar disc are numbness, pain of the legs, hip, buttocks, back of the calf or soles of the feet. It ordinarily affects one side of the body and the affected leg feels weak. Over a duration of time, muscle feebleness and bladder problem may also bother you when the herniated disc compresses spinal nerves severely.
The pain often starts mildly and then worsens over a duration of time. You may wish X-rays, Mri and even a Myelogram to decide if and which disc is herniated.
Treatment
In very early stages, herniated lumbar disc can be treated with corporal therapy and enough rest. Otherwise, painkillers and anti inflammatory medicines are also prescribed to ease pain and relax the muscles. Steroid injections are an choice when painkillers don't help. It is only when the pain is debilitating that you will wish surgery.
If the pain and muscle feebleness do not subside even after taking undergoing non surgical rehabilitation for quite some time, you may have to opt for surgical operation to decompress the nerve root which is constricted by the herniated lumbar disc and causing the discomfort.
Modern surgical methods are less invasive than what they used to be some years back. Moreover, you also get faster relief compared to continued non surgical treatments.
Lumbar discectomy is the surgical operation required to remove a herniated lumbar disc. It is almost an hour long course and is performed under general anesthesia. After the surgery, it may some weeks before you feel unblemished relief from the symptoms. You can resume your general activities soon enough but it is advisable to avoid lifting heavy objects or straining the back.
Bladder Lift Surgery:Herniated Lumbar Disc - Symptoms and Treatments
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