Mt Tam Orthopedics

What are the signs and symptoms of a herniated disc?

People with common herniated lumbar discs experience some combination of back and leg pain such as numbness, tingling, and/ or weakness along the compressed nerve. At first, most people experience severe back pain in conjunction with muscle spasm. Because these are also symptoms of pulled back muscles, at first it is difficult to distingush between a ruptured disc and a lumbar strain.

After a few days, the back pain usually subsides, and pain in one leg takes over. This pain is often described as an "electric shock", or burning sensation, that follows the nerve from the buttock, down the back of the thigh and into the calf or foot. This type of pain is called sciatica for the sciatic nerve that runs in the same area.

There may be numbness, tingling, or a "pins and needles" feeling as well as other abnormal sensations along the pinched nerve.
The muscles controlled by the nerve may weaken because they are not getting normal signals from the brain and spinal cord. Eventually, these muscles may atrophy (become smaller) because they are not being used.
Although these are the most common symptoms, there may be any combination of back and leg pain in varying degrees of severity, from a very mild ache to unbearable pain requiring a visit to a hospital emergency room.

The most dangerous ruptured disc compresses all the nerves passing through the lower back, including those that control bladder and bowel function. These nerves are well protected so this situation is rare. However, when it does happen, it is a true emergency that requires immediate surgery. Symptoms include:

an inability to control urine or stool functions.
an inability to urinate at all.
numbness around the rectum, buttocks and genital area.