Slip Disc Symptoms

Our body is a complex machine that has several functions running at the same time. The spine is one of the most important organs of our body. It is through this vital organ that messages are sent from all parts of the body to the brain and the back. The spinal cord also helps in supporting our weight as well as carrying forth some other key functions.

The spine is divided into discs which are present between the bones of the spine and are the protective shock absorbing pads. Sometimes, these discs rupture, which leads to the gel that is present in them to flow out and cause pain. This condition of when the disc is injured is known as spinal disc herniation or herniated disc. Spinal disc herniation is often referred to as 'slip disc' or 'slipped disc', but the terms are highly misleading as the disc is tightly sandwiched between two vertebrae and it is humanly impossible for it to 'slip' out of its place. It can only get injured. In the following article we shall be looking into the slip disc symptoms and other slip disc problems.

Causes

The causes that lead to a spinal disc herniation could be numerous. However, most slip disc symptoms and back problems will be caused by an injury that is caused by improper lifting, wrong way of twisting or turning, wrong bending, putting excessive strain while carrying out certain activities and degeneration of elasticity.

Symptoms

What are some of the slipped disc symptoms that indicate that there might be a situation of slip disc at hand? These are some of those:

• Most patients will experience tingling and numbness in the spine area. Along with that, there might also be more severe pins and needles kind of sensation or even major electric shocks that are painful.
• Electric shock pains are a common symptom for people suffering from slip discs. This is caused by compression of the discs. When it occurs in the neck, the shocks are experienced in the arms and when it is experienced in the lower back, they go all the way to the legs.
• Some people might have bowel and bladder problems which sometimes comes about as a result of slip disc.
• There will be apparent muscle pain and weakness that is caused because there is nerve irritation. When the nerves do not function efficiently, the reflexes in the body are affected.
• A skipped disc in the regions of the neck will include numbness and severe or mild pain in the neck, shoulder and hands.
• Certain other signs other than the numbness that are noticed are chronic pain in the buttocks, feet and legs.
• Pain experienced for every small movement like coughing, sneezing or doing leg raises.
• There is no feeling in the rectum area or the inside of the thigh and there might even be paralysis involved.
• There might not be any sensation in the legs.

Treatment

The treatment that is carried out for a spinal disc herniation includes one or most of these steps:

• Bed rest is prescribed so that there is no further straining and risking a relapse.
• Bed rest, though might be prescribed in the earlier stages, if not continued as a treatment because people who have a back problem do not do well with this sort of a plan. They are asked to resume their normal activities in a couple of days so that they heal faster.
• Hot and cold compresses are also used as a basic treatment.
• Massages and physical therapy are also used.
• Pain killers are administered to get rid of the pain that is caused.
• Acupressure and chiropractic might also be used as alternative treatments.
• In case the slip disc is severe then there remains no other choice but to treat it by a surgery.
• The other most important measure that one can take in case of a slip disc is to bring about certain changes in their lifestyles. This would include correcting your faulty walking, lifting, running, bending and any other physical activities.
• In case a person is overweight, then the pressure that is exerted on their spine is more and could lead to further complications. Thus, following a planned diet with the objective of weight loss might also be used as one of the other treatment methods.

Now that we know the slip disc symptoms, we need to make sure that we prevent the onset of this condition by taking care in the way we deal with our bodies. Learn to discipline your body with the correct posture and lifting and bending techniques, and you'll never have a problem with slip disc in your life.