6 Signs of Herniated Disk or Slipped Disk
- Leg pain – this may be pain radiating down the back or the side of the leg to the knee or foot. Sometimes this pain is felt in the front or inner thigh or even the groin. The pain may worsen with straightening the leg or siting up. Arthritis pain is different from slipped disk. arthritis pain is usually only found in the hip, knees or ankle and does not radiate down the whole leg.
- Numbness and tingling – this may be felt as pins and needles, burning or decreased or absent feeling in the area of the pain or beyond it. Sometimes numbness may appear without pain.
- Weakness – the leg may give out or drag. You may have problems getting up from sitting, stepping onto a stool or moving your foot.
- Reflex loss – patients may loose reflexes at their knee or ankle or from the bottom of their foot. Usually this is picked up from your doctor.
- Walking – the leg may drag or catch on the floor, you may have to lift the leg high to avoid this
- Bowel and bladder – if the disk compresses the cauda equina (the nerves to the bowel and bladder) the bowel and bladder may stop working. You may retention of pee or bowel movements or become incontinent of them. If this happens you should seek medical attention immediately.
About Dr. Carl Spivak
Dr. Spivak is the president of Executive Spine Surgery and has offices in New York and New Jersey. He is well known for his cutting-edge, minimally invasive endoscopic spine surgeries and regularly teaches courses throughout the USA. For more information please call 908-452-5612 or click on schedule-an-appointment.