| The Different Types of Herniated Discs |
When looking at the extent of a herniated disc on an MRI () examination there are many words used to describe it. When the soft cushion between the spinal bones ruptures it is termed a herniated disc. This becomes painful when the portion of that herniated disc that pushes out places pressure on the spinal nerves or the spinal cord itself.
There are three types of herniated disc that may occur:
Disc protrusion: This is commonly referred to as a bulging disc. This occurs when the outer wall of the disc breaks down enough that a “bubble” or bulge can form without a rupture where the disc and ligaments remain intact.
Disc Extrusion: When the outer part of a spinal disc ruptures and the inner material of the disc squeezes out it’s called a disc extrusion. A disc extrusion can occur when the ligaments are intact or damaged.
Disc Sequestration: A disc sequestration starts as a disc extrusion but occurs when the inner gelatinous material is not only pushed out of the, disc but when it becomes separated from that disc as well.
Now that we have looked at the specific types of herniated disc, let’s have a look at the different regions of the spine where discs can herniated
Thoracic herniated disc: Because there is such limited space around the spinal cord in the thoracic region when a herniated disc occurs in this area of the back there is good reason to be concerned. In severe cases the patient can have enough pressure applied to the spinal cord that paralysis below the waist is a possibility. The thoracic spine is not a common place to find a herniated disc as the majority of back damage is related to the lumbar region of the back.
Cervical herniated disc:
As stated previously the lumbar region of the back is a more common place to find a herniated disc, but they can still be diagnosed in the cervical region of the spine. There are two factors that make the lumbar area of the spine more susceptible to herniated discs:
1. The cervical spine has much less disc material in it then the lumbar spine.
2. Through our daily activities we place more strain on our lumbar spine
A herniated cervical disc is often referred to as cervical radiculopathy. Although they are no frequent, when they do occur the will extrude out the out the side of the spinal canal and put pressure on the exiting nerve root at the lower level of the cervical spine.
If bone spurs or other space limiting factors exist in the area that is being affected, this added pressure to the nerve root may cause commonly diagnosed symptoms of a cervical herniated disc such as arm pain (radiculopathy), weakness in the arm and a numbness or tingling sensation throughout the arms. If the space around the foramen has not been compromised by any other factors these symptoms can be treated through conservative methods.
Lumbar herniated disc:
When a herniated disc occurs in this area it may apply pressure to the never causing pain that can radiate down through the leg and into the foot. Of all disc herniations ninety percent will occur at the lumber segments four and five (L4 – L5) or the lumbar segment five and sacral segment one (L5 – S1). This will affect the L5 or S1 nerve respectively.
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Article Source: UnArchived Articles
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