Symptoms of a hernia of the spine

Intervertebral hernia is a disease in which, due to severe dystrophy of the cartilaginous discs, a special membrane ruptures and its fibrous contents come out. Symptoms of intervertebral hernia begin to appear at the age of 25-30 years , the appearance of signs in childhood and infancy is extremely rarely recorded.

What symptoms accompany the development of pathology, and what complaints will the patient present at the examination by a doctor?

Possible causes of pathology

Complaints of pain in the back, bouts of dizziness and headaches, crunching when moving, according to statistics, appear in about every second person on Earth. Often these are the first symptoms of an intervertebral hernia, thanks to which conclusions can be drawn about the prevalence of pathology. Why does it happen so often? Doctors identify the following factors:

previous spinal injury , which can be expressed as a quick blow or a deeper, prolonged impact;
surgery in the spine in the past;
heredity , which led to a change in the genes responsible for the normal synthesis of connective tissue proteins (as a result, the depreciation of the vertebra is disturbed, the pressure on the intervertebral discs changes, which are unable to withstand the load);
excessively active sports can also lead to a change in the state of the intervertebral space;
work associated with lifting weights can lead to the development of symptoms of a hernia of the back;
exposure to vibration can lead to the destruction of intervertebral discs (found in truckers, machinists);
age leads to the development of hernias of the back due to the wear of connective tissues and a decrease in the body's ability to regenerate;
not enough activity;
severe obesity , leading to an increase in the load on the spine.

Many doctors believe that the symptoms of spinal hernia can be detected at the very beginning of the development of the disease, since they have a number of specific features. The main thing is an attentive attitude to your health and a timely visit to the doctor.

Main symptoms

Symptoms that appear in people can vary significantly depending on which part of the spine is affected.

With an intervertebral hernia, a painful symptom comes to the fore. The pain is characterized by patients as strong and sharp. The development of the pain syndrome is explained by the fact that the fibrous component enters the spinal canal, putting pressure on the nerve roots responsible for the innervation of one or another part of the human body.

With a spinal hernia, symptoms always develop gradually, which makes it difficult to make a diagnosis. The patient may ignore attacks of dizziness, back pain or headache for a long time. As a result, after getting to the hospital, it is found that surgical intervention is required to treat the hernia. And, it would seem, if a person were a little more attentive to himself, it would be possible to manage with conservative methods.

Hernias are rarely diagnosed at an early stage of development, before the appearance of a pronounced clinical picture. These are mostly incidental findings made during standard medical examinations.

Cervical department

Hernias in the cervical spine are quite rare. They are difficult to diagnose due to the specificity of the symptoms. It is recommended to check for the presence of a hernial protrusion in the neck when the following complaints appear:

paroxysmal headaches, migraines and dizziness may be due to the fact that the vessels are pinched and a sufficient amount of oxygen does not enter the brain;
frequent insomnia, reduced endurance, increased fatigue, neurasthenia;
epileptic seizures;
frequent jumps in blood pressure, hyper- or hypotension, which cannot be explained by other reasons;
violation of the visual function of the eyes, which leads to episodic or permanent loss of vision, its rapid deterioration;
complaints of constant tinnitus, hearing loss of a periodic or permanent nature;
bouts of nausea and vomiting;
various vascular pathologies that the patient complains about;
frequent diseases of the oral cavity, whether it is damage to the tonsils, teeth or other parts of the mouth;
when the nerve roots are clamped in the region of IV-V roots, complaints of numbness and pain in the shoulder appear;
damage to the VI nerve root may cause pain in the elbow and biceps, numbness of the thumb.

It is important to remember that the mentioned symptoms of a vertebral hernia that appeared in the neck area may also indicate the presence of other health problems, and therefore quick conclusions about one's health cannot be made.

You shouldn't try to heal yourself. It is necessary to visit a doctor and get a final diagnosis and recommendations for therapy.

Thoracic

Hernias in the thoracic spine are found more often. Symptoms that indicate a herniated disc in this area will be as follows:

shortness of breath, which can occur not only during exercise, but also at rest (is an important criterion for distinguishing from cardiovascular diseases);
a feeling of discomfort, localized in the area between the shoulder blades or in the shoulder girdle;
pain in the thoracic spine, which is most often paroxysmal in nature;
thyroid pathology;
as the disease progresses, the pain will become constant, since in the thoracic region the spinal canal is very narrow, it easily overlaps;
possible complaints of burning behind the sternum, pain in the region of the heart.

Symptoms of a spinal hernia that has developed in the chest area may resemble a picture of myocardial infarction in the acute period. It is necessary to correctly differentiate these diseases in order not to make a mistake during treatment and not to miss an acute situation.

The location of the hernial protrusion in the thoracic region can also influence the manifestation of symptoms.

For lateral protrusion, pain in the chest and abdominal wall is more characteristic. With a central protrusion, a person will complain of the appearance of pain in the upper back. Without timely therapy, myelopathy will develop, sensitive nerve endings will suffer greatly, paralysis of the lower extremities may develop. The central-lateral location of the hernia will lead to the appearance of a wide variety of complaints, which will depend on the individual characteristics of the patient.

Lumbar

With the appearance of a hernia in the spine at the level of the lumbar, the following symptoms may appear:

pain in the lumbar region, which develops in response to movement, flexion and extension movements;
numbness in the legs, gait disturbance;
gradual development of body asymmetry, weight loss of the lower extremities;
excessive dryness or, on the contrary, sweating of the legs is possible, due to damage to the nerve endings that control the normal release of sweat;
pain, appearing in the lower back, can gradually spread throughout the lower limb, going down to the buttocks, and then lower and lower.

When a hernia appears in the lumbar region, not only the innervation is disturbed, but also the blood supply to most of the pelvic organs. As a result, constipation or diarrhea, hemorrhoids may develop. In women, the appearance of inflammatory processes in the uterus, the formation of ovarian pathology is possible. Bladder involvement may cause cystitis.

What will the patient complain about?

The appearance of a vertebral hernia is accompanied by a number of complaints that can give the doctor a hint as to what the diagnosis will be. Pay attention to 4 main complaints that almost any patient makes.

Pain syndrome.

Pain is an obligatory companion of hernias. Thanks to the pain symptom, the doctor can approximately estimate not only the stage of the process, but also the location of the protrusion. An attentive doctor will carefully ask the patient about the nature of the pain syndrome, the features of its appearance.

Inability to move freely.

With a hernia of the spine, many movements cause severe pain to a person. In this regard, a person will complain of stiffness, fear of moving once again, so as not to provoke another attack. The doctor can pay attention to the patient's protective posture, a strong but involuntary tension of the muscular structures of the back.

Strange sensations in limbs.

Goosebumps, coldness, numbness, tingling in the limbs - all these complaints can be found in a person suffering from a disease.

Changes from interested bodies and systems.

Hernias of the back often affect the nerve endings, involving the innervated organs in the process. Based on the complaints made by the patient regarding violations of urination, defecation, and the cardiovascular system, one can draw a conclusion about the position of the hernia and the severity of the process.

How is a hernia determined?

With a vertebral hernia, regardless of its location, it is not so easy to make a diagnosis. This is due to the specifics of the symptoms and their dissimilarity from person to person. The doctor, making a diagnosis, will be based on:

the specifics of the clinical picture (the presence of all 4 complaints in a patient is not at all necessary, but it occurs quite often);
anamnesis of the patient's life (it is worth paying attention to the features of work and lifestyle, food addictions, the state of health of relatives);
radiography, which allows not only to assume the presence of a hernia, but also to fully visualize it, proving the presence of a problem.

The development of vertebral hernias can be accompanied by a variety of clinical symptoms. Assuming a diagnosis, the doctor can confirm it only with the help of instrumental methods of examination. If radiography is not enough to make a diagnosis, the patient will be recommended a CT or MRI of the spine.

Herniated discs for a long time do not make themselves felt. When the first symptoms appear, a person may not see a doctor, writing them off as some kind of accident. A neglected disease can greatly reduce the quality of life, and in some cases it becomes a reason for a person to be confined to a wheelchair.

Timely detection of herniated discs is not only a guarantee of a comfortable life, but also an opportunity to maintain health for a long time.