A herniated disc, also known as a disc herniation or sometimes referred to as a “slipped disc,” occurs when a piece of a spinal disc bulges or ruptures and slips out of place, potentially compressing a spinal nerve. This condition can manifest in various symptoms, including leg pain, leg weakness, leg numbness, cauda equina syndrome, and/or low back pain.
In cases where the herniated disc is lower in the back, it may irritate the sciatic nerve, leading to pain that radiates through the buttock and down the leg. Fortunately, in most instances — about 90% of the time — pain caused by a herniated disc resolves on its own within six months. Epidural steroid injections are commonly utilized to treat back pain stemming from a herniated disc, lumbar or cervical radiculopathy, spinal stenosis, or sciatica. These injections deliver corticosteroids, potent anti-inflammatory medications, directly into the epidural space to substantially diminish inflammation around an irritated nerve.
Herniated discs are most frequently observed in the lumbar and cervical regions, with thoracic region herniations being comparatively rare, accounting for only 1 in every 200 to 400 disc herniations. The primary symptom of a herniated disc is typically back pain in the area of the affected disc. A thoracic herniated disc may induce pain in the mid-back around the level of the herniation. If the disc herniation compresses a thoracic spinal nerve as it travels through the foramen, pain or numbness may radiate around the rib cage from the back to the front of the chest or upper abdomen.
The process of herniation involves the soft inside of a spinal disc bulging out through a tear in its tough outer part. This can lead to pain and other issues if it exerts pressure on nerves or the spinal cord. Herniated discs can occur in the low back, mid back, or neck. Specifically, a herniated lumbar disc describes a change in a spinal disc of the lower back, where a tear in the disc’s tough, outer fibrocartilaginous layer (annulus fibrosus) allows portions of its gelatinous inner layer (nucleus pulposus) to leak out.
A herniated disc in the upper or lower spine may weaken muscle groups in the arm or leg. Discs in the upper-back thoracic spine could potentially cause bladder or bowel issues, or shooting pains toward one side of the body. Diagnosis typically involves a physical examination and, occasionally, imaging tests.
For more detailed information, you can visit the following resources:
Harvard Health,
Columbia Neurosurgery,
Hospital for Special Surgery,
Epidural Injection FAQs,
Harvard Health A-Z,
Baylor College of Medicine,
Lumbar Spine FAQs,
Ohio State Wexner Medical Center.
