Lumbar disc herniation

For people suffering from lumbar disc herniation, it is fine if there is no pain in the lumbar spine, but if there is pain, it is almost life-threatening. Because lumbar disc herniation not only causes lower back pain, but also causes numbness in the lower limbs, it has a great impact on a person's normal life and actions, and may even affect a person's normal urination and defecation. So what should a person do if he suffers from lumbar disc herniation?

1. Symptoms and Signs

The symptoms of lumbar disc herniation are pain that radiates from the waist to the legs and is aggravated by bending over and raising the legs. This is because the nucleus pulposus of the lumbar intervertebral disc protrudes backwards, pressing on the nerves that control the legs, causing symptoms in the corresponding leg-controlled areas, such as pain, numbness, weakness and even urinary and bowel disorders.

2. Imaging examination

Magnetic resonance imaging can clearly show important information such as the protruding segment, the degree of disc degeneration, the protrusion direction of the nucleus pulposus, the compression site of the nerve, etc. It is currently the best examination method for lumbar disc herniation. Although MRI can well display important structures such as discs and nerves with high water content, it is blind to calcified tissue. Therefore, if surgical treatment is required, a lumbar CT scan is generally required.

3. Lumbar disc herniation and lumbar disc herniation

Lumbar disc herniation is an imaging diagnosis that almost every adult will have. This is just a reminder for everyone to be careful. Only when it becomes serious to a certain extent and lower limb symptoms appear, it is called lumbar disc herniation, that is, when radiating symptoms of the lower limbs appear: such as pain, numbness, weakness and even urinary and bowel disorders, then further treatment is needed. This is just like the points deducted for violating traffic rules. Almost everyone who drives has had points deducted, but only when 12 points are deducted will you need to retrain and take Subject 1 test.

4. Determination of the severity of lumbar disc herniation

The severity of imaging is often not positively correlated with the severity of symptoms. In other words, the judgment of the severity of this type of disease is dominated by symptoms, which is consistent with the principle that "doctors treat diseases, not films."

Common symptoms of lumbar disc herniation include pain, numbness, weakness, and urinary and bowel disorders, which increase in severity. Pain is the lightest, followed by numbness, then lower limb weakness, and the most serious is urinary and bowel disorders. They may occur simultaneously, or numbness may occur at the beginning and only transient pain may occur, but their recovery effects are different. Taking surgical treatment as an example, pain symptoms will be relieved by 80-90% immediately after surgery, and numbness symptoms will gradually decrease within six months to a year after surgery, but a small area of ​​numbness may remain; lower limb weakness symptoms may take 3-4 years to partially recover, and the most serious urinary and bowel disorders may not be able to recover after surgery. Therefore, once lower limb symptoms appear, you should go to the hospital for evaluation and treatment as soon as possible.