A hernia of the spine (intervertebral hernia) is a prolapse of the pulpous nucleus from the intervertebral disc. Very often this disease occurs with osteochondrosis or scoliosis.
In order to understand the causes of formation and signs of a hernia of the spine, it is necessary to have an idea of the human anatomy. So, the spine consists of separate vertebrae and discs between them, which serve as shock absorbers when moving. With a hernia, the discs gradually become deformed and begin to go aside, while the pulpous nucleus extends beyond the fibrous membrane, previously tearing it and squeezing the nerve roots. Most often, hernia of the spine occurs in the lumbar region, since it is this area that accounts for the greatest load. Less commonly, the occurrence of this disease can be seen in the cervical and thoracic spine.
Depending on where the spinal hernia occurred, the symptoms of the disease are different. However, common symptoms include: acute pain, numbness of the arms and legs, and muscle spasms.
The first symptoms of a hernia of the spine may appear by the age of 20 and manifest as pain in the lumbar region or in other departments. This disease is most common in people aged 50 years, and not only in men, but also in women.
If a hernia of the spine has manifested itself in the lumbar region, the symptoms are represented by constantly increasing pain, spreading from the lower back to the leg. The pain interferes with normal movement and walking, with the progression of the disease in the patient, the work of other internal organs may be disrupted.
At the very beginning of the disease, pain is felt in the lumbar region, then gradually begins to give to the leg, the patient has numbness and tingling. Acute pain does not allow normal full movement.
If a hernia of the spine is manifested in the cervical spine, the symptoms are also represented by pain, only in the arm area. Also headaches, restriction of mobility of the cervical spine are observed, the symmetry of the muscles of the neck is lost.
If a hernia of the spine is manifested in the thoracic region, the symptoms are very similar to heart pain, since pain occurs during inhalation or exhalation in the chest area. This type of intervertebral hernia is quite rare in practice.
During the diagnosis, it is very important to correctly analyze the patient's complaints, the causes of pain and determine in which position of the body the symptoms are observed. This is necessary to exclude all other diseases. And only after collecting all complaints, muscle strength is checked, surface diagnostics is carried out, according to the results of which the location of the hernia of the spine is determined. After this, additional studies are prescribed in the form of MRI, X-ray and CT.
Magnetic resonance imaging or MRI is a relatively new method in modern medicine, the results of which make a fairly accurate diagnosis. This diagnostic method is informative, and the results provide information on the size of the hernia, its location and other parameters.
CT (computed tomography) using special equipment and appropriate software allows you to scan the desired area of the spine. The result is a printout of the image in three dimensions. However, CT is inferior to MRI diagnostics in terms of information content and accuracy of the results.
X-rays are mainly used to exclude other diseases of the spine.
It is very important in this disease to diagnose the main cause of back pain in time. This will allow you to choose the right treatment tactics.
When treating a hernia of the spine, it is very important not to miss the moment when the condition of the disease still allows you to do without surgery and stop the active development of the disease.