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A Disc Herniation Picture

By: Todd Beartoes

Disc Herniation Picture - to an ordinary person the disc herniation picture will seem like Latin and Greek so let's try to understand a written picture of what disc herniation is all about. In human anatomy the spine or vertebral column consists of 33 vertebrae (bones) that are running along the human back connecting the skull to the pelvis. The vertebrae shield the nerves that come out from the brain and then further pass through the back and into 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).

Disc Herniation: Pinched nerves, bulging disc, ruptured disc, radiculopathy, (radiculopathy refers to any disease that affects spinal nerves) sciatica and slipped disc are few other terms for herniated disc. As the disc degenerates, it is likely to herniate i.e. to say that the inner core extrudes back into the spinal canal.

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: Considered the most common reason for pain in the neck, lower back, arms and legs. Symptoms also include 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 wherein a sharp and shooting pain moves down from buttocks to the back of one leg) is also a very vivid sign of disc herniation.

Factors which cause herniated discs: Herniated disk condition may occur due to an accident or due to repetitive strenuous activities of back, or due to sudden strain on the back or may develop gradually due to ageing and degeneration of discs. During last few decades more and more sports related spinal injuries and C - Spine (Cervical) injuries have been reported to have caused disc herniation both in contact sports like football, hockey and wrestling and also in non contact sports such as skiing, diving, surfing and equestrian events.

Diagnosis and treatments of disc herniation: Depending on a patient's condition and symptoms, patients may be asked to undergo spine x-ray, spine CT, spine MRI, and EMG in order to properly diagnose herniated disc. Non-Surgical method of treatment may include 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.

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