Disc Protrusion (bulge or prolapse)
A disc protrusion can place pressure on lower back nerves and cause radiating leg pain (sciatica), weakness, numbness, or pins and needles.
Most disc bulge symptoms improve quite quickly with the spinal nerve able to free itself and local inflammation settle.
Early non surgical treatments include pain killers, activity modification, and specialist therapists (physiotherapy, chiropractic, osteopath etc). A nerve block (cortisone or steroid injection) can be trialled to settle nerve inflammation.
For an unfortunate smaller group of people the leg symptoms remain severe with the nerve continuing to be compressed. This may require a spinal surgeon to eliminate the nerve pressure by removing the prolapse disc material (microdiscectomy).
To learn more about the symptoms and treatment for disc bulges or herniated discs, please watch this animation here.
