Set C of 55 answers
Discs and nerves
Five questions about the cushions between the vertebrae and the nerves that run beside them. Each answer is short, sourced and says when to see a clinician.
Discs and nerves come up together because a problem with one often shows up as symptoms from the other. Pain that runs down a leg is usually about a nerve, even when its cause is in the back. A slipped disc and sciatica are the two terms people hear first.
The spinal canal can also narrow with age, which is spinal stenosis, and a nerve in the neck can be squeezed in a pinched nerve in the neck. Scan reports add worry of their own, so whether disc changes on an MRI are normal is answered here too.
If your main problem is a sore back without leg symptoms, start with back pain basics.
The 5 questions in this set
- C1What is a slipped disc?A slipped disc, also called a herniated or prolapsed disc, is when part of the soft cushion between two spinal bones pushes outward. It causes symptoms only if it irritates a nearby nerve, and many people never know they have one.
- C2What is sciatica?Sciatica is pain, tingling or numbness along the path of the sciatic nerve, usually in the buttock and the back of one leg. It describes a symptom with several possible causes, and it usually improves within weeks to months.
- C3What is spinal stenosis?Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spaces inside the spine that can press on the spinal cord or nerve roots. It develops slowly, becomes more common with age, and some people have no symptoms at all.
- C4What is a pinched nerve in the neck (cervical radiculopathy)?A pinched nerve in the neck, called cervical radiculopathy, happens when a nerve root leaving the cervical spine is compressed and inflamed. It typically causes pain, tingling or weakness down one arm, and most cases improve without surgery.
- C5Are disc changes on an MRI normal?Many disc changes seen on spine scans, such as degeneration and bulges, are common in people with no pain, and they become more common with age. A scan finding needs to be read alongside your symptoms and examination.
The other sets
- A. Back pain basicsCauses, how long it lasts, whether you need a scan, and when it is an emergency.
- B. Neck and headachesNeck pain, whiplash, and the headaches that can start in or near the neck.
- D. Surgery in outlineWhen surgery is discussed, what the common operations are, and the risks.
- E. Recovery and daily lifeRecovery after surgery, exercise, physiotherapy, sleep and long-lasting pain.