Thoracic Disc Herniation Symptoms in Vacaville

A herniated disc in the upper back can happen when the inner gelatinous material from the intervertebral disc leaks out. This could develop into a thoracic herniated disc that causes upper back pain and other symptoms like numbness or radiating pain.

The most common symptom of a thoracic herniated disc in Vacaville is pain and is normally isolated to the upper back or can radiate in a dermatomal pattern. Pain may be exacerbated when coughing or sneezing.

Radiating pain can be felt in the chest or belly, which could lead to a quite different diagnosis that requires an assessment of the heart, kidney, lung, and gastrointestinal disorders.

There are also many other disorders within the spine itself that can present some similar symptoms like upper back pain and/or radiating pain. These symptoms include spine fracture, tumor, infection, and certain metabolic disorders.

If the herniation goes into the spinal cord area, the thoracic herniated disc may also come with myelopathy. This can be evident when there's sensory disturbances below the area of compression, lower extremity weakness, balance and walking difficulties, or bladder or bowel dysfunction.

Common thoracic herniated disc symptoms in Vacaville

The symptoms of a thoracic herniated disc may vary on the size and location of the herniation. The herniated disc may protrude in a central, lateral, or centro-lateral direction with the majority having a central component. Most common symptoms for each include:

• Central disc protrusion - This is a type of herniation that causes upper back pain and/or myelopathy, depending on the amount of pressure on the spinal cord and the size of the herniated disc. The space around the spinal cord in the thoracic spine is limited, which causes the thoracic herniated disc to put pressure on the cord and affect the function of the related nerve. There are serious cases where a thoracic herniated disc can cause paralysis from the waist down.
• Centro-lateral disc herniation - This type of thoracic herniated disc may come with a combination of symptoms of myelopathy, radiating pain, or upper back pain.
• Lateral disc herniation - When herniating laterally, the thoracic herniated disc can cause impingement on the exiting nerve root at the level of the spine and radiate the pain to the abdomen or chest wall.

Risk factors of a lumbar herniated disc

These are the common risk factors of developing a lumbar herniated disc:

• Age - You are at risk when you're between the age of 35 and 50. It can rarely cause symptoms after age 80.
• Gender - The risk of developing this condition is double in men than in women.
• Physically demanding work - If you're working at a job that requires heavy lifting and other physical labor, then you're at risk of developing a lumbar herniated disc. Pushing, pulling, and twisting actions can add the risk especially if it's being done repeatedly.
• Smoking - Nicotine can limit the blood flow to the spinal discs, which could lead to disc degeneration and hampers healing. A degenerated disc is also less pliable, which causes a tear or crack and can lead to a herniation.
• Obesity - Excess weight can cause you to experience a lumbar herniated disc and is likely to make the same disc herniate again even after undergoing microdiscectomy surgery. Also, having this extra weight can put stress on the lumbar spine, making obese people more prone to herniation.
• Family history - There is a hereditary tendency for disc degeneration, which is associated with an increased risk for a herniation.