Symptoms of a Herniated disc

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Diagnosing a herniated disc

A physical examination preformed by your doctor along with a look at your pain history may be all that is required for diagnosis of your herniated disc. You may need to have your muscle reflexes, sensation, and muscle strength evaluated through a neurological examination. An examination of the spine will usually reveal that there is a decrease in the spines curvature in the directly affected areas. Sitting on an examination table you may be asked to lift your leg in a straight upward motion. Leg pain as a direct result of this motion will usually suggest the presence of a herniated lumbar disc.

Lumbar herniated disc symptoms

Intense pain in the lumbar region of the back
Pain that radiates down through the buttocks and can continue down the leg and into the feet
Any sort of jolting action, such as coughing, laughing, or straining that area can result in the pain worsening
Sensations of numbness and/or tingling (pins and needles) in the legs and feet
Weakened muscles or in later stages as the muscle is further ignored muscular atrophy may start to occur
During painful episodes muscle spasms may occur

Herniated cervical disc symptoms

Focused pain in the back and/or sides of the neck
Strong pain felt on the affected side, over or near the shoulder blades
Pain that radiates into the shoulder, down through the upper arm, forearm, and very rarely into the hand, fingers or chest
Straining or jolting actions such as coughing, or laughing can make the pain significantly worse
Rotating the head to the side or bending the neck causes the pain to worsen
Weakened muscles in the arm, along with occasional muscle spasms in the neck

Foraminal compression test of spurling - This test is done to help diagnose a cervical herniated disc. The test is performed with the patient (you) bending your head slightly forward and to the sides while your doctor applies a slight downward pressure to the top of your head. If this increases painful sensations or there is increased numbness and/or tingling during the test, there is a high probability for the presence of a cervical herniated disc.

Test performed for diagnostic purposes

X-ray - Although it is not possible to diagnose a herniated disc through the use of an X-ray, it can be used to help rule out other possible causes for your back or neck pain
MRI (Magnetic resonance imaging) or CT Scan (Computed Tomography) - These tests can show compression to the spinal canal caused by a herniated disc
Myelogram - This test is preformed to specify the size and location of a herniated disc
EMG (Electromyography) - This test is performed to help determine which nerve root is being affected by the herniated disc
NCV (Nerve conduction Velocity) - This test will measure the speed of signals travelling through a nerve

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