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The
gradual wearing out of spinal discs is a natural part of aging that can often
lead to a herniated disc. However, only a few people who have herniated discs
have severe or troublesome symptoms.
Due
to age, injury, or both, a disc's outer layer, the capsule or annulus, may dry
out and develop tiny cracks. This causes the disc to bulge, break open
(rupture), or break apart. Often herniated discs bulge but do not rupture or
break apart.
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Bulging
disc. Some of the
jellylike material (nucleus) that fills the disc may leak into the cracks in
the capsule. The disc may begin to bulge out from between the bones of the
spine (vertebrae). It often bulges away from the spinal cord and nerve roots
and therefore doesn't cause symptoms.
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Ruptured
disc. The nucleus
material inside the disc breaks through the capsule.
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Free
fragment. Fragments
of a ruptured disc may break completely free of the disc and lodge in the
spinal canal, the opening in the vertebrae through which the spinal cord
runs.
Any
of these stages can cause pressure on a nerve root and symptoms of pain and
numbness.
The
cracks in the disc capsule do not repair themselves, but the pain usually fades
over time. About 50% of people with a herniated disc in the low back recover
within 1 month. And within 6 months, most recover.1
Often
material from a herniated disc is broken down and absorbed by the body, a
process called resorption. In about 2 out of 3 people, the disc herniation is at
least partly gone after 6 months.2
Long-term
herniated disc problems can develop.
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Pain
may come and go. Periods of time when pain goes away (remission) occur less
frequently.
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Long-lasting
(chronic) and recurring pain can develop because of continued tissue
irritation caused by the disc pressing on a nerve.
-
Chronic
pain syndrome can result from having ongoing pain, causing depression,
anxiety, and difficulty coping with daily life.
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Symptoms
caused by long-term nerve root compression include loss of agility,
strength, or sensation in one or both legs and feet.
Compression
of the bundle of nerve roots in the lower back (lower lumbar region) can lead to
weakness in both legs, and the loss of bowel, bladder, and sexual function. This
rare condition, called cauda equina syndrome, requires immediate medical
attention.
Reference
from Healthwise
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