If you’re suffering from a herniated disc in the back or neck, your first instinct when asked to describe your symptoms may simply be to say, “I’m in pain.” While this is a valid complaint, it will be helpful to your doctor if you can describe your pain in as much detail as possible by citing the nature, location, frequency, and severity of your symptoms. For example, tell your doctor if you’re experiencing discomfort in a region that is far away from your spine, as this may be referred pain due to spinal nerve root compression. You should also try to describe the severity of your discomfort on a scale of 1 to 10.

Learning How to Describe Symptoms to Your Doctor

What is unique about the symptoms that are associated with a herniated disc in the back or neck is that they cannot always be categorized as “painful.” A herniated disc often causes neuropathic discomfort due to the extruded disc material compressing a spinal nerve root or the spinal cord itself. Pay attention to your discomfort and decide if you would classify it as:

– Localized (stationary)
– Radiating (travelling)
– Warm or “electric”
– Burning
– Tingling
– Numbness
– Weakness
– Pins-and-needles
– Throbbing
– Dull
– Cramping
– Spasmodic

The Benefits of Keeping a Pain Journal

Some doctors advise their patients to keep a pain journal. While this may seem like an odd concept, it has many benefits. Just as a dream seems extremely vivid right when you wake up but fades as the day goes on, pain can also be hard to describe accurately once it has passed. However, by logging your daily experiences with herniated disc symptoms in the back or neck, you can track important details about your condition. For instance, at what time of day are your symptoms the worst? If symptoms come and go, how long do they usually last? Are there specific activities that exacerbate your symptoms? Answers to these questions will help your doctor make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe an effective treatment plan.

In Conclusion

By and large, a herniated disc is not a life-threatening condition, but in rare occurrences a herniated disc can cause serious complications that require emergency treatment. These serious complications often involve the cauda equina, which is a bundle of nerves that branches off the bottom end of the spinal cord. If a spinal irregularity – such as a herniated disc – compresses the cauda equina, it can lead to a condition called cauda equina syndrome, which can ultimately cause permanent paralysis and incontinence.

The only treatment for cauda equina syndrome is surgery, and this surgery must be done on an emergency basis to prevent permanent damage to the cauda equina nerve bundle. Therefore, it’s important to be aware of the signs of cauda equina syndrome so that treatment can be sought as soon as possible – optimally within 48 hours – after symptoms begin. Symptoms of cauda equina syndrome include the sudden onset of urinary and/or fecal incontinence, numbness in the groin, leg weakness, ankle weakness, and difficulty walking.

Author Bio: Patrick Foote is the Director of eBusiness at Laser Spine Institute, the leader in endoscopic spine surgery. Laser Spine Institute specializes in safe and effective outpatient procedures for herniated discs and several other spinal conditions.

Category: Medical Business
Keywords: Herniated disc