Bulging Disc Symptoms
The weak spot in a disc is directly under the nerve root, and a bulging disc in this area puts direct pressure on the nerve. When part of a disc presses on a nerve in the lumbar region, it can cause pain in both the back and the legs. The location of the pain depends on which disc is weak. How bad the pain is depends on how much of the disc is pressing on the nerve. In most people with bulging discs, the pain spreads over the buttocks and goes down the back of one thigh and into the calf. This is commonly referred to as Sciatica.
A bulging disc in the lumbar region can also cause numbness and tingling down the legs and into the feet. In the area of the cervical spine (the neck), the pain, numbness and tingling can radiate from the neck through the shoulders, down the arm and even in the fingers.
Click Here to see how you can get your life back in 5 daysA bulging disc pressing on the nerves in the spine can also cause weakness of the leg. The group of muscles that are weak depends on which nerve is being impinged. A bulging disc in the lumbar region may also cause back pain, although back pain alone (without leg pain) can have many causes other than a bulging disc.
The pain from a bulging disc is usually worse when you're active and gets better when you're resting. Bending forward, driving, coughing, sneezing and sitting may make the pain worse. The pain gets worse when you make these movements because they put more pressure on the nerve.
The Laser Spine Institute treatment of bulging discs is accomplished through a procedure called Percutaneous Endoscopic Discectomy. The expert staff at LSI has performed this revolutionary, minimally invasive technique hundreds of times allowing people just like you to get on with life.
If you still have a question that we have not been able to answer, please take a moment to review or bulging disc FAQ that the experts at LSI have put together for you. If you still need more information feel free to contact us and we will do our best to provide you with assistance.
Slipped disc. Colored magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of a sagittal (side) section through the lower spine of a patient suffering from a slipped or herniated disc. The central part (blue, lower center) of one of the discs that separate the bones (vertebrae, brown) of the spine has been forced through a weakened area of the disc, and is protruding into the spinal cord (pink/white, top center to bottom right). A slipped disc often occurs after a back injury or strain, causing back pain. It may compress the nerves of the spinal cord, resulting in tingling or numbness in the feet and legs. Treatment includes rest, anti-inflammatory drugs and physical therapy.
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Answer
The endoscope and arthroscope are the exact same instrument. They are small tubes through which surgery is performed. When the tube is placed into a joint, it is referred to as an arthroscopic procedure (arthro meaning joint). When the tube is placed into an area other than a joint, it is called an endoscope. At LSI, we perform endoscopic procedures.