Symptoms of lumbar disc bulging

The lumbar intervertebral disc is a key part in our human body and plays an important role in supporting the entire body. However, in many cases, it is damaged by external forces and the lumbar intervertebral disc is prone to bulging. Patients will experience symptoms such as low back pain, numbness and pain in the lower limbs. This requires our attention and active treatment. Let’s take a look at the main symptoms of lumbar disc bulging.

Any disease has a certain cause. There are many reasons for lumbar disc bulging. Lumbar disc degeneration, genetic factors and external injuries can all cause the disease. We need to make targeted analysis during treatment.

What are the symptoms of lumbar disc bulging?

1. Low back pain is the first symptom that occurs in most patients, with an incidence rate of about 91%. Because the outer layer of the annulus fibrosus and the posterior longitudinal ligament are stimulated by the nucleus pulposus, induced pain in the lower back is produced through the vertebral nerve, sometimes accompanied by buttocks pain.

2. Radiating pain in the lower limbs Although high-level lumbar disc herniation (L2-3, L3-4) can cause femoral neuralgia, it is rare in clinical practice, less than 5%. The vast majority of patients have herniation between L4 and 5, or L5 and S1, and present with sciatica. Typical sciatica is pain that radiates from the lower back to the buttocks, back of the thigh, outer side of the calf to the foot. The pain is aggravated by increased abdominal pressure due to sneezing and coughing. The radiating pain is mostly on one side of the limbs, and only a very small number of patients with central or paracentral nucleus pulposus herniation show symptoms in both lower limbs.

There are three causes of sciatica:

① The ruptured intervertebral disc produces chemical stimulation and autoimmune reactions, which cause chemical inflammation of the nerve roots;

② The protruding nucleus pulposus compresses or stretches the inflamed nerve roots, which blocks the venous return, further aggravates the edema, and increases the sensitivity to pain;

③Ischemia of the compressed nerve root.

The above three factors are interrelated and aggravate each other.

3. Symptoms of the cauda equina: The nucleus pulposus protruding to the rear or prolapsed, free intervertebral disc tissue compresses the cauda equina, and its main manifestations are difficulty in defecation and urination, and abnormal sensations in the perineum and perianal area. In severe cases, symptoms such as incontinence and incomplete paralysis of both lower limbs may occur, which are rare in clinical practice.

The above content is an introduction to the symptoms of lumbar disc bulging. I hope it can be of some help to you. Lumbar disc bulging can cause great harm to patients. In fact, we can do a good job of preventing the disease in our daily lives. We should pay attention to our sitting posture and do appropriate waist training. If you feel any discomfort in your waist, you need to see a doctor in time.