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Hernia of the lumbar spine symptoms and treatment

February 7, 2018

Hernia of the lumbar spine symptoms and treatment

Hernia of the lumbar spine is the most common form of this disease, manifested due to rupture of the spinal disc. Diseases are more often men 30-50 years old.

Due to the occurrence of strong physical exertion, the fibrous ring of the vertebral disc is ruptured, due to which the semi-liquid nucleus begins to penetrate the spinal canal. This causes compression in the spinal cord, which leads to disastrous results.

The main symptoms of the disease

With the occurrence and further development of lumbar hernia, the following symptoms begin to appear:

  • pain in the lumbar region, as well as chilling sensations;
  • sharp pain when bending the body and turning it;
  • feeling of lumbago (sharp pain) in the lower back, which appear spontaneously and also can pass abruptly;
  • pain extending to lower limbs;
  • burning sensation, tingling in the legs, numbness of the limbs, “goosebumps”;
  • in severe cases, there are malfunctions in the intestines, sometimes in the bladder and other organs, atrophy of the leg muscles, paralysis is possible.

Characteristics of pain syndrome with hernia

First of all, lumbar hernia is characterized by pronounced pain. It can be described as dull, aching. The pains are so strong that because of them the patient cannot sit up normally, stand still and even cough. Relief comes only in a horizontal position, when the limbs and spine do not bear any load. Therefore, during the exacerbation of lumbar hernia, it is recommended to lie as much as possible. Important!

If the pain due to lumbar hernia began, you should not wait for it to pass. Even years later, she will torment a person, and the problem will only get worse. Therefore, it is better to consult a doctor immediately. This will allow to cure the disease at the initial stage and avoid surgical intervention.

As soon as a patient with a hernia makes a movement to change the position, or tries to make certain movements, there is a sharp shooting through back pain. It is called sciatica.

According to the characteristics of the pain, it is possible to determine approximately where the spinal deformity occurred. If the 5th lumbar vertebra is damaged, the pain will be localized in the big toe. And if the vertebral hernia site is located between the 5th lumbar and 1 sacral vertebra, the patient will complain of pain in the sacrum, in the little finger, in the back of the leg. Sick people usually prefer to endure even constant pain, and only in severe cases they decide to consult a doctor.


The lumbosacral hernia is particularly dangerous for women. It is in this area that the pelvic organs are located. If there are problems with the spinal column, interruptions in the blood circulation of these organs will begin, which will cause chronic gynecological disorders. As a rule, in patients with low back hernia there are significant disturbances in the work of the excretory system, as well as failures of the menstrual cycle.

Due to the presence of pathology in the spine, the muscles in this area are too tense. With this action, the body tries to keep the spine as motionless as possible so that the problem does not get worse. But in the long run, this can lead to scoliosis.

In an intervertebral herniated lumbar, pronounced compression of the nerve roots can easily occur. It causes a state of loss of skin sensitivity in some areas. As a result, dry skin develops, after a while it begins to peel off strongly. Ultimately, the pain causes the patient’s mobility to decrease dramatically. Sometimes the problem is so strong that the knee jerk disappears for a while, the sensitivity of the big toe and ankle are lost. In the end, all this can lead to severe paralysis of the limbs.

Causes of disease

The spine can even bear the increased load on the body. This is due to its special anatomical structure. Thus, the disk center is formed by the pulpal nucleus. But if a person develops osteochondrosis, over time it is erased and loses its function, since it receives less nutrients along with the bloodstream. This leads to the fact that the fibrous rings of the discs between the vertebrae begin to crack and collapse, which causes a change in the distance between the vertebrae. The facet joints are stretched, and the disc is partially extended into the spinal canal, which causes squeezing of the pulpal nucleus. Thus, a hernia is formed. At the same time, the spinal nerves are under strong pressure, swelling begins to develop in this area, which is accompanied by severe pain.