It’s common for pain resulting from a slipped disc, also known as a herniated disc, to be felt in parts of the body other than the back. For instance, a herniated disc in the lower back may sometimes cause pain at the site of the rupture. However, it more commonly results in pain, weakness, and numbness in the buttocks, legs, or feet. In addition to leg pain, the affected leg may also exhibit weakness or numbness. Overall, a herniated disc can lead to a variety of pain symptoms and related conditions.
The disc itself may become painful or may irritate a nerve exiting the spinal column, leading to pain, weakness, numbness, or tingling in the leg. If the affected disc is lower in your back, it may irritate the sciatic nerve, resulting in pain that radiates through the buttock and down the leg. Fortunately, in most cases — about 90% of the time — pain caused by a herniated disc will resolve on its own within six months.
Pain in the lower back that radiates into the leg is commonly a result of a disc or bone impinging on a nerve as it exits the spinal cord, most frequently occurring between the 4th and 5th lumbar vertebrae. In individuals between the ages of 30 and 60, a ruptured disc is typically the culprit; in those over 60, spinal stenosis is a more likely cause. These structural changes can sometimes lead to pain. Another, albeit less common, cause of low back pain is a herniated disc, where the disc pushes outside the space between the bones and compresses a nerve at the point where it branches off the spinal cord.
A herniated disc occurs when a piece of a spinal disc bulges or ruptures, slipping out of place and squeezing a spinal nerve. This can result in leg pain, leg weakness, leg numbness, cauda equina syndrome, and/or low back pain.
To visually understand this condition, please refer to the following illustration from a reliable health source:
For more detailed information, you can visit the following links:
slipped disc article,
disc herniations FAQs,
herniated disc healing process,
getting help for low back pain,
home remedies for low back pain, and
herniated disc conditions.
