What Are the Symptoms and Regions of a Lumbar Herniated Disc?

A lumbar herniated disc may cause the following symptoms: Intermittent or continuous back pain (which may be made worse by movement, coughing, sneezing, or standing for long periods), spasm of the back muscles, and sciatica—pain that starts near the back or buttock and travels down the leg to the calf or into the foot. Muscle weakness in the affected areas can also be a symptom.

There are 33 spinal vertebrae divided into five regions: cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral, and coccygeal. Each region has its own characteristics of motion and restrictions. The cervical region consists of 7 vertebrae, with the first two, Atlas (C1) and Axis (C2), being atypical; the typical vertebrae are C3-C7. The thoracic spine (chest and upper back region) follows below the cervical spine, and then comes the lumbar spine (lower back).

Although spondylosis can affect any part of the spine, it is more frequently seen in the cervical (neck) and lumbar (low back) areas, with the thoracic spine being less commonly affected due to the stabilization provided by the rib cage. The spinal cord itself is divided into four different regions: cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacral. There are two enlargements of the spinal cord: the cervical enlargement, which extends from C3 to T1, and the lumbar enlargement.

Moving from the anterior to the posterior, the four regions of the spinal column are: cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacral. In the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine, all vertebrae are essentially similar, each composed of two sections: the vertebral body, a solid cylindrical segment, which provides strength and stability to the spine.

The adult vertebral column consists of 24 vertebrae, plus the sacrum and coccyx. These are subdivided into cervical (C1–C7), thoracic (T1–T12), and lumbar (L1–L5) regions. For more in-depth information on herniated discs, visit Columbia Neurosurgery, University of Missouri Medicine, Hospital for Special Surgery, Spine Disorders at Columbia Neurosurgery, Spondylosis Overview at HSS, UTHealth Neurosciences, MSU Open Books, and Degenerative Spinal Conditions at Columbia Neurosurgery.