What is it?
With a herniated disc, part of a disc in your lower back bulges out and presses on a nerve. You feel sharp pain in one buttock or leg, sometimes down to your foot. Tingling, numbness or weakness often come with it.
Standing and coughing can make the pain worse, and lying down often eases it. Most people recover without surgery.
A bulge on a scan does not automatically mean pain: almost 3 in 10 twenty-year-olds without symptoms have one. If you are not yet sure where your leg pain comes from, see our sciatica page as well.
Common causes
- A weak spot in the disc
- Work with a lot of twisting
- Being overweight
- Smoking
- A lot of stress
How we diagnose
We ask how the pain started, where it spreads and which positions make it worse. Your physiotherapist tests sensation, strength and reflexes in your legs and does a few nerve tests. That shows whether a nerve root is irritated.
An MRI is not needed in the first weeks, because the result does not change the treatment. With VALD Force Decks and Force Frame we measure the strength of both legs and track your recovery.
Treatment approach
You keep moving and carry on with your daily activities as far as the pain allows. Your physiotherapist explains what is happening in your back and helps you expand your activities step by step.
If the pain limits your work or sport, you get a tailored exercise programme. You train under supervision in our gym.
Expected recovery
In 3 out of 4 people the leg pain is gone within three months. If things go well, you rebuild work, sport and lifting to your old level over 6 to 12 weeks.
If the pain has not eased enough after 6 to 8 weeks, you discuss with your GP whether surgery makes sense.
