What Causes A Disc to Herniate?

Have you or someone close to you experienced a sudden onset of back pain? Maybe it’s been accompanied by a tingling sensation or weakness in a leg or arm? 

These could be signs of a herniated disc, a common condition that can wreak havoc on your daily life. At the Center for Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery, many of our patients with herniated discs wonder what caused their condition and how they can manage it. 

Neurosurgeon Praveen Reddy, MD, M.Ch, and our team offer personalized help, diagnosing and treating herniated discs at our five locations across the greater Houston area. Keep reading to learn what causes a disc to herniate and the ways we can help. 

What is a herniated disc?

Before going into the causes, we want you to have a basic understanding of what herniated discs are. Imagine the vertebrae in your spine as a stack of doughnuts, each with a jelly center. 

These jelly centers, or nucleus pulposi, are your discs, which provide cushioning and flexibility to your spine. A disc herniates when this soft center pushes out through a tear in the vertebra’s exterior, or annulus fibrosus. 

When this happens, the herniated disc can put pressure on or irritate nearby nerves and tissues, resulting in such uncomfortable symptoms as pain, numbness, or weakness.

Why do I have a herniated disc?

The primary culprit behind most herniated discs is something everyone goes through: aging. Over time, your discs lose some of their water content, making them less flexible and more likely to tear or rupture from even a minor strain or twist. 

This process, known as disc degeneration or wear-and-tear, is normal as you age. But not everybody experiences the pain of a herniated disc as a result of growing older.

That’s because wear-and-tear doesn’t act alone. Other factors combined with aging increase your risk of a herniated disc. Here’s a look at some of the other factors that can contribute to a disc herniation:

Physical exertion

Lifting heavy objects improperly, twisting, or turning sharply can cause a disc to herniate. It’s not always the amount of weight but the way you move that can trigger the issue.

Lifestyle choices

Smoking can reduce oxygen supply to the disc, accelerating degeneration, while obesity puts extra stress on the discs, especially in the lower back. And a sedentary lifestyle means the muscles surrounding your spine don’t provide the support they should. 

Genetics

Sometimes, the predisposition for disc problems is something inherited from your family.

No matter the cause, the good news is there are treatments to ease the pain and discomfort of a herniated disc. 

What can help a herniated disc?

If you have a herniated disc, we offer many solutions, from conservative care through advanced options. Dr. Reddy evaluates your condition and overall health to make a personalized herniated disc treatment plan for you. 

Many people find relief with conservative treatments, which work with your body's ability to heal itself. Depending on your needs, these types of treatments may include one or more of the following:

Physical therapy

Customized exercises strengthen the muscles around the spine, providing better support and reducing pain.

Medications

Anti-inflammatory drugs reduce swelling and pain, making daily activities more manageable.

Activity modification

Sometimes, simply changing how you do things can give your back the break it needs to heal.

Steroid injections

For those who need a bit more assistance, Dr. Reddy can provide injections to reduce inflammation around the affected nerve.

If these conservative methods don’t bring the relief you hoped for, it might be time to consider more specialized approaches. 

When it’s time to turn to surgery

As a neurosurgeon, Dr. Reddy specializes in providing minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS) for those in need. 

Depending on your situation, you might benefit from one of the following types of surgical interventions for herniated discs:

• Discectomy, where the herniated disc is removed to relieve pressure on the spinal nerves
  
  
• Microdiscectomy, targeting and removing only the damaged part of the disc
  
  
• Spinal fusion, which stabilizes the spine by fusing the bones together where the disc once was
  
  
• Artificial disc replacement, replacing the disc with an artificial one

To learn what’s causing your disc herniation, schedule an appointment online or over the phone with Dr. Reddy at the Center for Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery near you in Spring, Conroe, Kingwood, Willis, or The Woodlands, Texas.