Things to Know About Lumbar Herniated Disc 

THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT LUMBAR HERNIATED DISC Jan,03,2022

Our spinal discs serve the role of shock absorbers between our vertebrae and allow a wide range of movements. If a disc herniates and leaks out, it can aggravate a nerve, resulting in back ache and nerve symptoms. Usually, symptoms of disc herniation start without any apparent reason or it can occur when we twist the lower back or lift heavy objects. As per the medical experts in affordable health clinics, lumbar herniated discs can mostly affect people between the ages of 35 and 50.

 

Causes Of Lumbar Herniated Discs 

Due to general wear and tear and age, our spinal discs can lose some of the fluid that makes them spongy and flexible. The loss of fluid can make the disc flat and hard. This process is called disc degeneration and may start early in life. Disc degeneration can show up in imaging tests and your healthcare provider can perform these tests to find out herniated discs.

 

The outer ring of discs can tear, bulge, or crack when stress or pressure is placed on the spine. When herniation occurs in the lower back, the protruded disc can push against the spinal nerve root, resulting in shooting pain down the leg. If you have a herniated disc, your doctor might tell you that degenerative disc disease resulted in the lumbar herniated disc.

 

Symptoms Of Lumbar Herniated Discs 

Lumbar herniated discs can be very painful, but the symptoms might not last long for most people. Most of the people who experience lumbar herniated discs will not have any symptoms after six weeks, even without any medical treatment. If you experience pain in your lower back, visit a low income clinic or other affordable health clinics in your area to ensure proper treatment. 

 

In the opinion of medical experts, lumbar herniated disc symptoms might resolve due to the following reasons:

  • Some of the water present in the herniated disc can be absorbed by the body over time, resulting in the shrinkage of the disc. The smaller disc is not much likely to extend to the nerve roots, causing pain and irritation.
  • The body strikes the herniation as a foreign material, thereby reducing the dimension of the herniation.

 

As per many studies, it is common for people to have disc herniation without pain or any other symptoms. Therefore, much care should be taken in the diagnosis to ensure that a herniated disc is the actual cause of the problem.

About the Author

Dr. Ghassan M. Al-Jazayrly, MD

A graduate of University of Aleppo Faculty of Medicine, Dr. Al-Jazayrly or, as he is colloquially known: Dr. AJ, is an oncologist and hematologist of a Complete Care Community Health Center (CCCHC) with more than 36 years of experience. In recent years, he’s been involved with a non profit organization known as Every Woman Counts (EWC) which provides free breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic services to California’s underserved populations in order to eliminate health disparities for low-income individuals.

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