Disc Herniation Articles

Making a Healthy Disc Herniation Recovery After Surgery
Thursday, October, 21 2010
After undergoing surgery for a disc herniation, the recovery process will vary depending on what type of procedure you had. For instance, recovering from fusion surgery will naturally take much longer than recovering from a minimally invasive procedure, because fusion involves a larger incision and dissection...

The Option of Disc Herniation Surgery
Thursday, October, 21 2010
When you are experiencing painful neural compression due to a herniated disc, surgery may be the first thing you consider to relieve your pain. However, keep in mind that surgery should usually only be considered as a last resort, as the majority of people who suffer from degenerative disc conditions...

If You Suffer From a Disc Herniation, Alternative Treatments Are Available
Thursday, October, 21 2010
When someone is experiencing excruciating pain from a disc herniation, alternative treatments may not seem like they would offer enough relief. However, discomfort alone should not compel you to immediately seek surgical relief. You may be surprised at how beneficial noninvasive, alternative treatments...

What Are My Options For Disc Herniation Therapy?
Thursday, October, 21 2010
Disc herniation therapy may be necessary when the wall of a weakened intervertebral disc develops a tear and leaks its inner disc material into the spinal canal. In and of itself, the tear is not painful. However, when the disc fluid, or nucleus pulposus, infringes on nearby spinal nerves or the spinal...

Disc Herniation Exercises Could Be the Key to Relief
Thursday, October, 21 2010
If you are one of the millions of people who suffer from disc herniation, exercises could be the very last thing you want to attempt. However, it’s important to remember that long periods of immobility can lead to muscle stiffness and decreased circulation, both of which can slow the herniated disc...

Learning About Cervical Disc Herniation Treatment
Thursday, October, 21 2010
Cervical disc herniation treatment can take a variety of forms, though the most important thing to keep in mind is that surgery should generally be a last resort. The majority of patients suffering from a herniated disc will find that their symptoms abate over time with a regimen of non-surgical conservative...

Knowing Your Options for Lumbar Disc Herniation Treatment
Thursday, October, 21 2010
Lumbar disc herniation treatment can take a variety of forms. It will depend on how severe your symptoms are and whether your pain is chronic (lasting longer than three months) or acute (lasting less than three months). A herniated disc in the lumbar region of the spine (lower back) means that the outer...

Disc Herniation Treatment
Thursday, October, 21 2010
Disc herniation treatment generally becomes necessary only if a nerve root or the spinal cord itself is compressed by the gel-like nucleus material that extrudes through a fissure in the disc’s fibrous outer wall. In fact, many people have a herniated disc and never know it, because there is no guarantee...

Disc Herniation MRI
Thursday, October, 21 2010
If your doctor suspects you may be suffering from symptoms associated with disc herniation, an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) test might be used to gain an accurate and reliable diagnosis. The concept of the MRI was developed in the 1980s. In essence, a magnet is moved around the body in order to stimulate...

Disc Herniation Diagnosis
Thursday, October, 21 2010
An interesting aspect of disc herniation is that many people can have one and never know it. A herniated disc can be completely asymptomatic, so a diagnosis is not even necessary unless it begins to produce symptoms such as localized pain, radiating pain, tingling, numbness or muscle weakness. When symptoms...

Lumbar Disc Herniation Symptoms
Thursday, October, 21 2010
Lumbar disc herniation symptoms can include severe pain in the lower back, pain that radiates down the legs, numbness, weakness, and tingling. Interestingly, these symptoms are not actually caused by the herniated disc itself. In fact, you might have one or more herniated discs at various levels of your...

Cervical Disc Herniation Symptoms
Thursday, October, 21 2010
Cervical disc herniation symptoms are actually something of a misnomer. Although, if you're suffering from pain, weakness, tingling, and numbness in your neck due to a herniated disc in your cervical (upper) spine, you'd likely disagree. However, technically speaking, a herniated disc by itself does...

Disc Herniation Pain
Thursday, October, 21 2010
Disc herniation pain is actually a bit of a misleading notion. That's because a herniated disc by itself does not cause any symptoms. In fact, at this very moment you might have any number of herniated discs at various points along your spine that aren't causing you any problems at all. It's when the...

Disc Herniation Symptoms
Thursday, October, 21 2010
Disc herniation symptoms vary widely depending on the location of the degenerative disc and nerve compression. For some people, a herniated disc might mean local, chronic back or neck pain. For others, disc deterioration can cause sciatica or symptoms in the hands and fingers. The variable from patient...

Disc Herniation and Aging
Thursday, October, 21 2010
Unfortunately, disc herniation and aging often go hand-in-hand. As we grow older, our bodies naturally begin to slow down, and the years of wear and tear finally begin to take their toll. One of the parts of the body that experiences deterioration the most is the spine, which shouldn’t come as a surprise...

Disc Herniation Prevention
Thursday, October, 21 2010
Disc herniation prevention is possible, but with one important caveat to keep in mind: degenerative disc conditions often occur as a result of regular aging, which is ultimately unavoidable. That being said, there are a number of environmental factors that often cause or exacerbate disc herniation....

Disc Herniation Risk Factors
Thursday, October, 21 2010
Disc herniation risk factors refer to activities that increase the likelihood that a person will experience the condition at some point in their life. One of the frustrating parts about a disc herniation is that it often accompanies the natural aging process. As wear and tear naturally takes its toll...

Disc Herniation Causes
Thursday, October, 21 2010
There are a number of disc herniation causes, but the most common is something that none of us can avoid: growing older. As the body ages, the spinal anatomy naturally begins to deteriorate. The intervertebral discs that normally cushion the spine weaken and rupture, the joints become arthritic, and...

Posterior Disc Herniation
Thursday, October, 21 2010
Posterior disc herniation occurs when the nucleus pulposus (or jellylike center) of an intervertebral disc seeps through the disc’s tough exterior on the back (or posterior) side of the spine. This can occur when a disc’s anterior side (which points toward the front of the body) becomes compressed...

Central Disc Herniation
Thursday, October, 21 2010
Central disc herniation occurs when the nucleus pulposus (the soft center) of an intervertebral disc seeps through a tear in the annulus fibrosus (or hard exterior) and toward the midline of the back. A herniation can occur anywhere along the exterior of a disc, including the center. Herniated discs...

Anterior Disc Herniation
Thursday, October, 21 2010
Anterior disc herniation affects the forward-facing side of the intervertebral discs (the side closest to the front of the body). This can occur when stress is continually applied to the opposite side of the disc (on the posterior side), allowing pressure to build in the anterior side. Continued pressure...

L4-L5 Disc Herniation
Thursday, October, 21 2010
The intervertebral disc located between the fourth and fifth lumbar (L4-L5) vertebrae in the lower back is extremely vulnerable to degenerative conditions associated with normal wear and tear as we age. Disc herniation, joint deterioration and other age-related conditions commonly develop in the lower...

L4 Disc Herniation
Thursday, October, 21 2010
The L4 vertebra is the second-lowest segment of the lumbar (lower back) region of the spine, and is one of the most common sites of degenerative conditions that lead to chronic lower back pain, including disc herniation. The fact that the L4 vertebra, and the lumbar vertebrae in general, support much...

L5 S1 Disc Herniation
Thursday, October, 21 2010
A herniated disc between the last vertebra in the lumbar (lower) region of the spine and the sacrum is called an L5 S1 herniated disc. The lumbar spine has five vertebrae, labeled L1-L5, and the sacrum is a triangular-shaped bone at the base of the spine between the two hip bones. The sacrum connects...

L5 Disc Herniation
Thursday, October, 21 2010
An L5 disc herniation occurs in the last vertebrae located in the lumbar (or lower) region on the spine. The lumbar region of the spine has five vertebrae which are commonly labeled L1-L5 – and in rare cases, a person might have six lumbar vertebrae. Since the lower back bears the majority of a person’s...

Sciatica Caused by Disc Herniation
Thursday, October, 21 2010
Sciatica and disc herniation often go hand in hand, causing many patients to experience a number of uncomfortable symptoms. When a disc herniates (which means its jellylike center seeps through a tear in the disc’s tough exterior), pressure is sometimes applied to one or more nerve roots in the spinal...

Lumbar Disc Herniation
Thursday, October, 21 2010
A lumbar disc herniation occurs in the lower back, when the jellylike center (nucleus pulposus) of an intervertebral disc seeps out of a tear in the disc’s hard exterior. This can occur as a result of the natural aging process, when continued wear causes a disc to degenerate, or break down. Herniation...

Thoracic Disc Herniation
Thursday, October, 21 2010
Thoracic disc herniation is a form of degenerative disc disease in which an intervertebral disc in the thoracic, or middle, section of the spine becomes herniated. These soft, sponge-like discs provide cushion and support to the spine, but they can also lose water content and degenerate over the years...

C5-C6 Disc Herniation
Thursday, October, 21 2010
When the intervertebral disc located between the fifth and sixth cervical vertebrae (C5-C6) leaks gel-like nucleus material into the spinal canal, it is referred to as a disc herniation. This can occur as part of the aging process, when the cartilaginous outer wall of the disc becomes brittle and weakens....

C5 Disc Herniation
Thursday, October, 21 2010
The seven vertebrae within the cervical (neck) region provide support for the skull and are flexible enough to allow a wide range of head and neck movements. The very functionality of the cervical region also is its downfall; years and bearing the weight of the head and bending, twisting and turning...

Neck Disc Herniation
Thursday, October, 21 2010
A neck disc herniation, or a herniated disc that occurs in the cervical (upper) section of the spine, is a degenerative spine condition that can cause a variety of symptoms. These can include pain, weakness, tingling, and numbness that can occur in the neck, head, or upper extremities. By itself, a herniated...

Cervical Disc Herniation
Thursday, October, 21 2010
Cervical disc herniation occurs when one of your intervertebral discs degenerates over time to the point that the gel-like inner material bursts through the thick, outer disc wall. The term "cervical" means that this form of degenerative disc disease has occurred in the cervical, or upper, portion of...

Types of Disc Herniations
Thursday, October, 21 2010
Disc herniations occur when an intervertebral disc in the spine slowly degenerates over time. As a result of this natural part of the aging process, the disc loses water content and may thin, bulge, or eventually become herniated. In a disc herniation, the gel-like inner material of the disc expands...

Disc Herniation Definition
Thursday, October, 21 2010
If you are suffering from a disc herniation, it can be extremely helpful to know the definition of the condition. Also known as a herniated or ruptured disc, a disc herniation is a type of degenerative spine condition that can lead to back or neck pain in an otherwise healthy individual. When a disc...

Disc Herniation
Thursday, October, 21 2010
An intervertebral disc herniation occurs when a disc becomes weakened or deteriorated to the point that a tear develops in the lining of the disc and the disc material extrudes into the spinal canal. Disc herniation isn’t necessarily symptomatic in and of itself, but should the disc or disc material...