Herniated Disk: Symptoms and Diagnosis

Could I Have a Herniated Disk?

Back pain can sneak up on you when you least expect it. One minute you're sitting comfortably in front of the TV, and the next you try to stand up, and a sharp pain radiates through your lower back.

Could you have a slipped or herniated disk? You might.

The adult spine is made of 24 bones called vertebrae. Between the vertebrae are disks, which allow the spine to move and bend. Inside each disk is a soft, jelly-like center called the nucleus pulposus. The outer band is called the annulus fibrosus. In the case of a herniated disk, the outer band of your disk becomes torn or punctured, causing the inner nucleus to leak into the spinal canal.

Herniated disk vs. bulging disk

A herniated disk can often be confused with a bulging disk. While these conditions have some similar symptoms, they do differ. A herniated disk happens when the outer layer of the disk becomes ruptured, often during an acute, sudden injury. For bulging disks, it's possible to happen due to injury, but often it's because the soft center of each disk begins to wear down and deflate gradually as you age. Multiple disks can be affected at the same time and cause other spine-related issues.

Herniated and bulging disks share the following symptoms, depending on the location of the disk:

• Pain in lower back, buttocks, leg (lumbar spine)
• Pain in the neck, shoulder, arm (cervical spine)
• Numbness, tingling, weakness

Some differences between the conditions include:

Herniated Disk Symptoms

If you have a herniated disk, you may not have any symptoms. Symptoms vary depending on the injury's severity and the disk's location. Symptoms include:

• Numbness or tingling
• Sharp, burning, or shooting pain in the lower back, buttocks, leg, calf, or foot (lower back herniated disk)
• Sharp, burning, or shooting pain in the arm or shoulder (neck herniated disk)
• Muscle weakness surrounding the area of pain
• Symptoms located on one side of the body