{"id":4142,"date":"2019-02-20T08:26:00","date_gmt":"2019-02-20T08:26:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.io\/?p=4142"},"modified":"2021-05-27T15:36:46","modified_gmt":"2021-05-27T15:36:46","slug":"10-painful-herniated-disc-symptoms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.io\/10-painful-herniated-disc-symptoms\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Painful Herniated Disc Symptoms"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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A herniated disc is a condition in which the padded tissue between two spinal columns has moved, allowing them to compress together, and often trap a nerve that is wedged between them. This can be extremely painful and can make moving and engaging in usual activities difficult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fortunately, there are several treatments and remedies that can help with a herniated disc and get you on the road to recovery. The only thing standing in your way then, is being able to correctly identify the issue as a slipped disc. If you are unsure, then you won\u2019t know how best to begin treating and addressing the problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this post then, we\u2019ll be taking a look at eight different common and painful symptoms of a slipped disc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Sharp Pain<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The most obvious symptom is pain. When you have a slipped disc, it causes the nerve <\/a>in the spine to be trapped and irritated. This can then send a shooting pain that travels often down one side of the body (it\u2019s most common to feel it more on one side). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The nerves that travel through our spine are responsible for carrying all the messages from our limbs and torso to our brain. These messages include those responsible for moving parts of the body, as well as those responsible for signaling pain or a sense of touch. This is why you can end up feeling intense pain as the area becomes inflamed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To manage the pain, you can try using analgesics (painkillers), a warm compress, a brace, or light massage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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2. Tingling Sensation<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As mentioned, your nerves are responsible for all the different signals that travel up and down your body, including the sense of touch and sense of pain. While a trapped nerve can, therefore, lead to a sharp shooting pain that is difficult to ignore then, it can also cause a kind of \u2018scrambling\u2019 of the system, as your body doesn\u2019t know how to interpret the messages coming in. This can result in a feeling of tingling <\/a>or pins and needles \u2013 similar to the kind of \u2018dead arm\u2019 sensation you might sometimes wake up with in the night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This tingling sensation may vary in terms of how strong it feels, and this might seem to coincide with a degree with certain movements. That is to say that altering your position might be able to provide some relief, or it might actually make the problem worse, depending on how you are moving at the given moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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3. Pain When Moving<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Almost every movement that the human body can make needs to pass through the spine<\/a>. Thus, whether you are bending, lifting, jumping, running, walking or anything else, you will very likely find that you feel it through your back. This will cause the columns to move, which can compress and squeeze on the nerve more, or cause friction and thus further irritation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another thing to note is that you may experience pain while just standing. This is because of the effect of gravity, which will push down on the spine and cause further compression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Often the best thing to do to get some relief then, is simply to rest and lie down on a hard flat surface. Avoid soft beds, as these can cause the spine to bend and change shape in unpredictable ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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4. Weakness<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You might find that a slipped disc can cause muscle weakness<\/a>. This is because \u2013 to reiterate \u2013 the nerves are used to send signals up and down the body between the brain and the limbs. As that signal becomes interrupted, so too can the signals become weaker. Eventually, this might lead to difficulty moving or a lack of strength as the signal comes through, only much more weakly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you notice an unexplained weakness in your muscles, or you have difficulty moving as you normally would, then you should consider speaking with a physician, as this can, in fact, is a symptom of a number of different conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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5. Numbness<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Numbness <\/a>is another symptom caused by the interruption of your body\u2019s normal signals. With the messages from your body interrupted, you might find that you don\u2019t get all of the signals as you normally would and the area, therefore, feels cold, numb, or otherwise insensitive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Again, this is similar to the feeling of a \u2018dead leg\u2019 that you may experience after sitting for a long time. Indeed, the cause is the same \u2013 interference with the nerves that convey the usual sense of touch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Numbness can be an issue as it may cause issues with movement and proprioception. This can make it harder to move and to go about your usual business, which in turn might make you more susceptible to accidents. It\u2019s another reason to take some well-earned time off if you are feeling uncomfortable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Numbness and tingling both have a number of different causes, including diabetes and vitamin B12 deficiency. Therefore, it is important to speak with a physician in order to rule out those other possibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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6. Deferred Pain<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One of the strangest things about back pain<\/a> is that very often the pain is not felt in the back at all. With sciatica for instance \u2013 pain affecting the sciatic nerve right at the bottom of the spine \u2013 it is most likely to be felt in the legs and buttocks. Sciatica actually can be caused by a slipped disc, it is simply a matter of where the disc has slipped and what it is affecting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember that although the nerve being affected is located in the spine, it is also able to send and receive messages from all around the body as a kind of junction. Therefore, the pain and the sensation can be felt anywhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s actually quite common for pain felt in one area to be caused by problems originating somewhere else \u2013 especially when the point of origin is the spine. This might be due to a muscular imbalance for instance, which can cause effects throughout the body, altering posture, changing pressure on different parts of the body, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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7. Difficulty Walking<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A rare condition is called cauda equina syndrome. Here, the nerves traveling to the lower part of the body are compressed, resulting in immense pain and often making it very difficult or even impossible for a person to walk and act normally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This can be due to any number of the previous symptoms discussed. Pain might make it hard for you to move your legs normally, while a lack of sensation may make it more difficult for you to understand how to correctly move your legs and feet and coordinate your movement. Likewise, muscle weakness <\/a>might make you less able to support your own weight, or to move normally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All these things combined can result in a general difficulty moving normally that can be difficult to overcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you notice this, then it is very important that you speak with a GP, as it could, in fact, be a sign of something else more serious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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8. Relief From Certain Positions <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Another consideration is that pain in the back caused by a slipped disc may often be made slightly less overwhelming by a simple change of position. In particular, if you make a move to stretch out the spine, then this might help to release the trapped nerve entirely, or at least minimize the amount of pressure <\/a>being placed on it in that moment. This is why one of the best things you can do often is to try taking up poses like arching your back on all fours, curling into a ball, or even hanging from a pull-up bar or tree branch in order to elongate the spine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While this isn\u2019t a painful symptom as such in itself, it is a useful indication of what might be wrong and can help you to self-diagnose the issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, a doctor is always best suited to providing the actual diagnosis, so if you are unsure then you should always be seen by your physician who will be able to provide you with a little more insight into what might be going on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\r\n

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