If you're like most people, you probably don't think about your back or your spine until something hurts. The spine functions as your primary support structure. It holds your body together and keeps you upright. Adults have 33 vertebrae making up their spine, they are separated by pillowy cushions known as disks. On the outside, these disks are tough but their center is soft like a jelly doughnut. They provide flexibility and work as shock absorbers for your spine.
When one of these spongy disks gets squeezed out of its normal position and protrudes outward, past the edge of the bones, it is called a herniated disk. The bulging part of the disk presses on nerves as they exit the spine, resulting in pain and other symptoms. If left untreated, or not given proper medical attention, it can lead to severe difficulties. If you are suffering from any of the following early signs of a ruptured disk, you must visit a specialist for Herniated Disk in San Antonio. Because like most conditions, it's best to treat a slipped disk early on.
The Early Symptoms of Herniated Disk
Pain extends from your neck or lower back into your shoulders, arms, buttocks, or legs. When the nerves leave your spine, they go to other parts of the body. A herniated disk presses on these nerves, so you can experience pain anywhere along that way even your hands or calves. The pain is concentrated around the neck and shoulders or lower back and buttocks. This happens because the lower back and neck are the most common locations for them to occur.
A compressed nerve can interfere with your ability to feel and cause electricity-like jolts of discomfort along the nerve pathway. This results in numbness, tingling, or shock-like bursts of pain. Movement like bending or straightening up can increase stress on the disk and its surrounding nerves, this causes pain and other symptoms to increase when you bend or straighten up from a bent position. In many cases, sitting or lying in specific positions can also make the pain worse.
If you experience any of the aforementioned symptoms, you must see a specialist for Herniated Disk in San Antonio. Generally, they are caused due to aging as the disks in your spine start to shrink with age. Other common reasons behind them include lifting heavy objects, having a physically difficult job or lifestyle, or sharp turning or twisting of the spine. Obese people and pregnant women also have a higher chance of developing herniated disks.
