Extruded Disc Herniation Causes and Symptoms
What Are The Causes Of An Extruded Disc Herniation?
Your back, neck and spine is a complex system made of cartilage, joints, muscles, ligaments that hold together a series of bones called the vertebrae. In between these vertebrae are intervertebral disc that act as shock absorbers. This spinal system’s purpose is to facilitate movement and support your upper body. Additionally, the spine protects the spinal cord and the nerve that originates from your brain that coordinates your every move while working and playing.
With age our body can start to develop degenerative disc disease resulting from several things like age, trauma, repetitive movement, poor posture and heavy lifting. The results of these things can begin to dehydrate and deteriorate our disc. Therefore, the disc can become brittle and susceptible to tears in the outer wall (annulus) allowing the inner gel-like center (nucleus) disc to bulge, protrude, extrude and herniate.
OTHER CAUSES OF EXTRUDED DISC HERNIATION
- Injuries, trauma and accidents
- Strenuous heavy lifting and repetitive movement
- Poor posture and lifting of heavy objects
- Obesity or weight gain
- Smoking
- Lack of exercise
- Genetic predisposition
What are the Symptoms of an Extruded Disc Herniation?
If you develop an extruded disc and it compresses your spinal cord or spinal nerve, you could suffer from one of the following painful symptoms:
- Muscle weakness
- Pain radiating through an arm or leg
- Numbness
- Tingling sensation in arms/hand or leg/foot
- Loss of ability to perform daily activities
- Sharp and sudden pain
If you begin to have trouble breathing or loss of control of bladder and bowels, call 911 as you may be experiencing a emergency situation from your extruded disc compressing your spinal cord called cauda equina syndrome, which may requires immediate spine professional care.
