A Disc Herniation Picture
Disc Herniation Picture - a layman may find actual Disc herniation picture as Latin and Greek and hence let us try to understand a written picture of what is meant by disc herniation or herniated disc. In Human Anatomy spine or backbone or vertebral column consists of 33 vertebrae (bones) that along human back connecting skull to pelvis. Vertebrae shield the nerves coming out from brain that further pass through the back and the entire body.
Spinal discs are like soft pads between hard bones (vertebrae) that make up the entire spinal column. Spinal disks are filled with gelatinous or jellylike substance which provides a cushioning or shock absorber effect to the spinal column. Cervical (neck - portion behind skull) spine, thoracic (part of the back behind chest) spine, lumbar (lower back) spine and sacral spine (part connected to the pelvis and does not move) spine are the main segments of spinal column. Discs in lumbar spine are composed of a thick outer ring of cartilage (annulus) and an inner gel like substance (nucleus).
Here are a few common terms for Disc Herniation: Pinched nerves, bulging disc, ruptured disc, radiculopathy, (radiculopathy refers to any disease that affects spinal nerves) sciatica and slipped disk are just a few of them. When a disc degenerates, it herniates it means that the inner core begins to extrude back into the spinal column.
The spinal disc has a tendency to become less elastic due to ageing and thereby posing a possibility that it can rupture. As and when the disk ruptures a portion of it would push outside the normal boundary and bulge out from between the vertebrae. Herniated disc in itself may not pose any risks but if it weren’t for the spinal nerves that are situated pretty close to the edge of the spinal discs.
Symptoms of disc herniation: it’s considered to be the most common reason for pain occurring in the neck, lower back, arms and legs. Symptoms are electric shock like pain, tingling and numbness in the cervical and lumbar region, muscle weakness, loss of bowel or bladder control is to be handled as medical emergency. Sciatica (is a condition when a sharp and shooting pain goes down from the buttocks to the back of one leg) it’s a visible sign of disc herniation.
Factors causing herniated discs: an accident or a repetitive strenuous activity of the back may cause a herniated disc condition, it can also be caused by a sudden strain on the back or it can also develop gradually due to ageing and degeneration of the discs. These past few years have seen more people incurring more sports related injuries and C-Spine (Cervical) injuries have caused disc herniation in both contact sports like football, hockey and wrestling and in non contact sports like skiing, diving, surfing and equestrian events.
Diagnosis and treatments of disc herniation: depending on a patient’s symptoms and condition, patients may be recommended spine x-ray, spine ct, spine MRI, and EMG in order to properly diagnose herniated disc. The non-surgical method of treatment may require rest and activity modification, physical therapy and hot and cold therapy, epidural steroid injections, oral steroid medications and NSAIDs (Non steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs).
Surgical Treatments are recommended and required at times of severe neurological damages that cause the patient to loose function and in conditions where no surgical treatments would prove unfruitful. Depending on the location and size of the disc herniation, surgical methods may include microdisketomy or laminectomy. Arthroscopic surgery is the least invasive surgery that involves the use of an arthroscope (a type of endoscope) for examination and treatment of herniated discs.