Intervertebral disc hernias are classified according to the three areas of the spine where they can occur. In this article, we will review these three types of hernias, and describe how they can affect your daily life if left untreated.
If you have ever been diagnosed with a disc herniation in your spine, it basically means that one of the intervertebral discs in your spine, or part of it, has torn and opened. When this happens, some of the soft interior disc material, known as the nucleus pulposus, bulges or slips out and may cause nerve compression on the adjacent nerves, leading to a variety of symptoms.
A person with a herniated disc may find their quality of life seriously impaired by pain which can worsen and become chronic, in addition to other symptoms if the hernia compresses the nerve roots or the spinal cord.
How many types of hernias are there?
As mentioned at the beginning, there are three types of hernias that can occur in the spine. The human spine is divided into the lumbar area (lower back), thoracic area (the middle part) and the cervical area (that is, the upper back). Disc hernias can occur in any of these three areas, but they are most common at the lumbar and cervical spine levels.
Here, we describe the three types in more detail:
Lumbar disc herniation: The most common symptom of a hernia in the lumbar spine is lower back pain. In addition, the patient may also experience pain that projects downwards to the leg, buttock or thigh, as well as muscle weakness and reduced sensitivity in the limb, and in severe cases, it can affect the control of sphincters.
These symptoms appear as a result of the hernia pressing on the nerves. The pain is usually greatest when the person coughs, sits, or lifts weight.
Lumbar disc herniation commonly affects people between the ages of 30 and 50. Most of the time, surgery is not needed, with the exception of when it is necessary to release the compressed nerve root responsible for the patient’s symptoms, especially if there are signs of root dysfunction (muscle weakness or loss of sensation in the leg) or if the pain persists after having tried conservative treatments.
Find out more about lumbar disc herniations
Thoracic disc herniation: this is the least common area for a hernia to appear. When they do, one of the main symptoms is pain between the area of the shoulder blades and the upper part of the back. As in the case of lumbar disc herniation, a thoracic hernia can also lead to muscle weakness and reduced sensitivity in the legs and abdomen, and in very isolated cases, loss of sphincter control.
The initial approach to treatment is usually conservative. The doctor may prescribe pain relief medications and physical therapy. However, if the patient shows no signs of improvement, surgery may be the next step, especially if there are other symptoms in addition to pain.
Cervical disc herniation: this type of hernia can develop as a result of trauma or injury to the neck, poor posture or degenerative disc disease due to age.
The patient may experience pain in the arm, which occurs when herniated disc material presses on a cervical nerve, as well as numbness, tingling, or weakness in one arm or part of it. In addition, if the hernia compresses the spinal cord, there may be symptoms in both arms, along with weakness in the legs or impaired control of the sphincters.
The symptoms experienced can vary from one person to another. A patient may have all them, or only one of them. In any case, it is best to go to a specialized clinic for a medical evaluation.
To relieve pain caused by a cervical disc herniation, there are non-surgical treatment options, including physical therapy, changing postural habits, and supervised exercise. If the spinal cord or nerve is affected, some type of surgical intervention may be required.
More about cervical disc herniation
Now you know the types of herniated discs, their symptoms and how they can affect you, but we have something even more important to tell you: what you can do to protect yourself from herniated discs as much as possible. Here, we offer a series of recommendations of things you can start doing today:
- Sit with correct posture.
- Avoid overexertion and lifting heavy weights.
- Maintain a healthy body weight.
- Get regular exercise, in appropriate moderation.
- Eat foods that are rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals.
- Eliminate any habit of tobacco use, because it affects your ability to absorb nutrients and weakens your body.
At Instituto Clavel we are here to help you if you suffer from a disc hernia or other spinal pathologies. Our priority is to improve our patients’ quality of life, so we evaluate each case in a completely personalized way in order to choose the best treatment.
If the recommended treatment is surgery, did you know that there are minimally invasive options to reduce the risks during the operation, and that lead to a shorter recovery time? At Instituto Clavel, we opt for these minimally-invasive techniques whenever it is appropriate for the patient’s case and condition. One of these techniques that can be used for treating lumbar disc herniation, is endoscopic surgery, which requires less manipulation of soft tissues, results in less postoperative pain, and maintains the stability of the patient’s spine.
Find out more about endoscopic lumbar surgery
Regardless of the type of hernia you suffer and your situation, our multidisciplinary team will work hand in hand with you to provide the best service at every stage of your treatment, and we will do our best to get you successfully back to your daily routine.
Categories: Spine treatments, Spine pathologies, Surgery