Herniated Discs
What it feels like, and where it comes from
The discs between your vertebrae are cushions with a tough outer ring and a soft center. When the outer ring weakens, the center can push outward (a bulge) or through it (a herniation). If that pushes against a nerve root, you get pain that travels: down the leg from a low back disc, or down the arm from a neck disc. Numbness, tingling and weakness can come with it.
Here is the part people are rarely told. Many adults have disc bulges on an MRI and no pain at all, and most painful disc episodes improve without surgery. The disc is part of a moving system, and when the joints around it move properly and the load on it is reduced, the irritation usually settles.
- Back or neck pain with pain shooting into a leg or arm
- Numbness, tingling or weakness in a limb
- Pain that is worse sitting, bending forward, coughing or sneezing
- An episode that started with a lift, a twist or getting out of bed
- A disc bulge or herniation already seen on an MRI
- Pain that has not improved with rest and medication
