7 Symptoms of Slipped Disc That You Should Be Aware Of

Slipped disc or herniated disc happens when a part of the disc in the spine ruptures and the gel in it leaks out. This will place stress and pressure on the surrounding nerves and cause pain and discomfort in the patient. Many patients have slipped discs without them even realising it. Depending on the location, the pain and discomfort will vary. Here are some of the symptoms of slipped disc that you should know.

Pain in the arms and legs

If the location of the slipped disc is at the lower back, there will be severe pain experienced in the lower part of the body such as the buttocks, legs and thighs. Depending on the severity, pain in the feet may also be experienced by some. If it is at the neck region, there will be pain felt in the arms and shoulders. During certain actions such as sneezing or coughing, the pain will be more intense.

Numbness

When patients have a slipped disc, the gel will leak out and place pressure on the nerves, causing numbness in certain parts of the body. When you experience numbness, it could be a sign.

Weakness

The muscles surrounding the injured nerves will start to weaken and this will affect your basic day to day actions such as walking and even the ability to hold things.

Loss of bladder and bowel control

The immense pressure on the nerves can cause patients to lose their ability to control their bladder and bowel. This is an indication of a very serious complication and medical attention should be sought immediately.

Muscle spasms

When the bulging disc is pressing against the ligaments and onto the nerves, it causes tremendous pain to the surrounding area. As such, the affected muscles will go into spasm as part of our body's natural mechanism to immobilise the affected area and to reduce pain on its own.

Loss of ability to perform fine motor skills

Slipped discs can also cause a compression of our spinal cord, leading to the loss of ability to perform fine motor skills such as writing and tying shoe laces.

Abnormal sensation

The pressure acted on the nerves can cause abnormal feelings and sensations to be experienced by the patient. Depending on the location of the slipped disc, sudden electric shock sensation can be felt in places such as the arms and legs.

Above are some of the symptoms of slipped disc. All of them are caused by the pressure on the nerves from the herniated disc and they can disrupt signals from the brain to other parts of our body. If you have any of the symptoms, consult a doctor immediately.