A herniated disc is a pathology in which the nucleus pulposus of one or more of the discs that are located between the vertebrae, moves towards the root of the nerve, which causes pressure on it and consequently generates problems of the type neurological. According to some statistical data, these are the cause of the greatest number of disabilities in individuals under 50 years of age. Approximately 1.08% of the world population has chronic disability due to herniated discs, these are very common in people with genetic diseases that alter the connective tissue, an example of which is the joint hypermobility syndrome.
The pain that hernias cause are very strong and they occur most often on the sides of the body. Symptoms can be very different depending on the place and severity of the hernia, among the most common are the following:
- Herniated discs in the lumbar region can present stabbing pain in the region of the legs, the region of the buttocks and also in the hips, also numbness in different regions. The pain may also be very strong in the back of the calf or the sole of the foot. In the legs you can have the feeling of weakness.
- Hernias in the cervical region can generate quite intense pain when making movements with the neck, near or above the shoulder blade and that can be felt even in some regions of the arm, it can even affect the hand. You may also have numbness in the elbow and shoulder region.
It is normal that the pain begins very mild and as time goes by it becomes stronger, especially after sitting for long periods, when you laugh with intensity, walking excessively are undoubtedly some of the things that can increase the pain.
The main cause that is responsible for causing hernias is age, since when the body ages, the intervertebral discs tend to lose their elasticity and flexibility, for their part the ligaments around said discs become fragile and tear Very easily, when a herniated disc occurs, it can put pressure on nearby spinal nerves (radiculopathy) or on the spinal cord (myelopathy) and cause quite severe pain.
