What is a Slipped Disc?
Slipped Disc
The term "slipped" disc is commonly used to indicate a condition of the spine in which an abnormal or degenerated disc gets protruded and has come in contact with surrounding nerve tissue. Ruptured disk is another common name for it. You could also say that you had a prolapsed disk. Again, you could call it a herniated disk. No matter what you call it, it occurs in the lower back area usually but it can happen to any disk including ones in the neck.
What is a slipped or herniated disk?
The spine is vertebrae and a stack of disks. The disks are like a rubbery cushion while the vertebrae are different bones. Picture a spinal disk as something that looks like the tube of a tire. The air inside is what makes sure your bones do not hit against one another. The outside holds the air inside without any leaks. If your tires end up getting a leak, you have a "slipped" disk. The outer part of the tire gives and the air inside comes out. This can cause plenty of irritation to the nerves that are around it. It can even cause pain and numbness, make and are or leg feel week, or even those that have herniated disks and have no symptoms at all.
Symptoms of a Slipped Disk
There are cases that present with extreme pain, numbness, weakness, while others show no symptoms at all. These people find out that they have a herniated disk from a spinal image. The exact location of the herniated disk can change the area that you feel the different symptoms. Most often these show up on the lower back but some times they can occur in the neck, or cervical spine.
When the slipped disk is in the lower back region the most intense feelings of pain, numbness, and weakness will be in your buttocks and legs. It could also be in the knee or even below the knee affecting the foot. Herniated disks in the neck cause pain in the arms or shoulders. sneezing and coughing can shoot intense pain to the area being affected. These types can also have numbness and tingling. There are muscles around the nearby nerves that may also become weakened. This can cause people to stumble or have problems keeping hold of things.
What Causes a Slipped Disk?
Herniated disks commonly are a result of age related use. Wear and tear over time cases like this get called disk degeneration cases. It can occur because as we get older the spinal disks seem to lose water content making them less flexible. Lacking fluid makes disks more prone to any kind of trauma like falling or having a direct blow can cause you a herniated disk. Many do not know when exactly they got a herniated disk but they simply know that it came as a result of using the back when lifting heavy objects instead of using your legs and your thighs to do so.
Who is most at risk for developing herniated disks?
Three factors can improve the chances of an individual being at risk for a herniated disk. Age is one. Weight is another. Occupation is the last. Age is the most common and can happen to adults aged 35 to 45. This is when degeneration occurs. Extra weight puts stress on the back and the disks end up being the bearer of this extra stress. Those who have physically demanding jobs are much more likely to get a herniated disk than someone who work at a desk. Often repetitive motions will also increase the chances of getting a herniated disk. These repetitive motions include pushing, lifting, pulling, bending sideways, and twisting.
What is a slipped or herniated disk?
The spine is vertebrae and a stack of disks. The disks are like a rubbery cushion while the vertebrae are different bones. Picture a spinal disk as something that looks like the tube of a tire. The air inside is what makes sure your bones do not hit against one another. The outside holds the air inside without any leaks. If your tires end up getting a leak, you have a "slipped" disk. The outer part of the tire gives and the air inside comes out. This can cause plenty of irritation to the nerves that are around it. It can even cause pain and numbness, make and are or leg feel week, or even those that have herniated disks and have no symptoms at all.
Symptoms of a Slipped Disk
There are cases that present with extreme pain, numbness, weakness, while others show no symptoms at all. These people find out that they have a herniated disk from a spinal image. The exact location of the herniated disk can change the area that you feel the different symptoms. Most often these show up on the lower back but some times they can occur in the neck, or cervical spine.
When the slipped disk is in the lower back region the most intense feelings of pain, numbness, and weakness will be in your buttocks and legs. It could also be in the knee or even below the knee affecting the foot. Herniated disks in the neck cause pain in the arms or shoulders. sneezing and coughing can shoot intense pain to the area being affected. These types can also have numbness and tingling. There are muscles around the nearby nerves that may also become weakened. This can cause people to stumble or have problems keeping hold of things.
What Causes a Slipped Disk?
Herniated disks commonly are a result of age related use. Wear and tear over time cases like this get called disk degeneration cases. It can occur because as we get older the spinal disks seem to lose water content making them less flexible. Lacking fluid makes disks more prone to any kind of trauma like falling or having a direct blow can cause you a herniated disk. Many do not know when exactly they got a herniated disk but they simply know that it came as a result of using the back when lifting heavy objects instead of using your legs and your thighs to do so.
Who is most at risk for developing herniated disks?
Three factors can improve the chances of an individual being at risk for a herniated disk. Age is one. Weight is another. Occupation is the last. Age is the most common and can happen to adults aged 35 to 45. This is when degeneration occurs. Extra weight puts stress on the back and the disks end up being the bearer of this extra stress. Those who have physically demanding jobs are much more likely to get a herniated disk than someone who work at a desk. Often repetitive motions will also increase the chances of getting a herniated disk. These repetitive motions include pushing, lifting, pulling, bending sideways, and twisting.