What are the symptoms of a herniated disc?
The herniated disc is defined as a disc where the outer lining has been torn, and the inner soft disc material has expressed out of the tear and compressed the adjacent nerve roots as well. This pressure on the nerve roots tends to cause not only low back pain but leg pain, as well. This can be accompanied by numbness and weakness, which can be progressive in nature in its more severe form. When disc herniations are very severe, they can even affect the function of the control of the bowel and bladder. This is called cauda equina syndrome and tends to be very unusual complication of disc herniation.
Typically, a herniated disc causes radiating leg symptoms. Generally, this is what people refer to as sciatica or radiculopathy. The herniated disc is defined by a disc where the outer lining has been torn, and the inner soft disc material has expressed out of the tear and compressed the adjacent nerve roots. This pressure on the nerve roots tends to cause not only low back pain but leg pain, as well. This can be accompanied by numbness and weakness, which can be progressive in nature in its more severe form. When disk herniations are very severe, they can even affect the function of the control of the bowel and bladder. This is called cauda equina syndrome and tends to be a very unusual complication of disc herniations.
