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Disc Herniation
A disc herniation is when the softer centre of a spinal disc pushes through its outer wall, sometimes contacting a nerve. Worth knowing before you worry: herniations show up on the scans of large numbers of people with no pain at all, and most herniations shrink on their own over months. The scan is not the problem — the symptoms are, and they usually respond well.
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Does this sound like you?
Most people have several of these, not all of them.
- Back pain that may be sharp and catching, or surprisingly mild
- Leg pain, pins and needles or numbness in a defined band
- Symptoms clearly worse with sitting, and often better standing or walking
- Pain on coughing, sneezing or straining
- Weakness in a specific movement of the foot or leg
Why it happens
- Loaded bending and twisting, particularly when fatigued
- Gradual age-related change in the disc wall
- A sustained flexed posture over a long period
- A sudden heavy lift, though often there is no single moment
- Smoking, which measurably affects disc health
What we would do about it
Roughly in this order — each step waits for the one before it.
- Settling the nerve first, with positions that reduce the leg symptoms
- Manual therapy to restore movement in the segments around it
- A graded loading program — discs respond well to progressive load
- Trunk and hip strengthening once symptoms are centralising
- Guidance on lifting and sitting that you can actually keep to
- Clear red-flag advice on what would warrant urgent review
See a doctor first if
- Your pain followed a significant injury
- It is getting worse rather than settling
- It comes with numbness, weakness or unexplained weight loss
This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Symptoms overlap between conditions, so the right treatment depends on an assessment.
A disc on a report is not a life sentence
We see a great many of these and the large majority settle. An assessment tells you where yours actually sits, and what will move it along. Ask a question first, or call us on 0403 907 587.
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Other back conditions we treat
Related reading: the leg pain it commonly produces, general lower back pain and the same problem in the neck.
General information only, not advice about your own problem — nothing here replaces an assessment. Source: Disc Herniation on Physiopedia.
