Protrusión discal lumbar
El temprano diagnóstico y tratamiento de una protrusión lumbar puede no solo detener la degeneración sino también prevenir el desarrollo de una hernia discal, mucho más difícil de manejar.
What is a lumbar disc protrusion?
The spine is not just bone (the vertebrae), but also a dynamic structure with several components, and one of them is the intervertebral discs.
These discs are made of tough cartilage and their main function is to connect one vertebra to another. Without them, it would be impossible to move the back; it would be like having a stick tied to the back of the body, and obviously, it would also be impossible to bend over and maintain balance.
Almost all of the body's weight falls on the spine, which is why this structure is so important. However, sometimes these intervertebral discs can degenerate (a process known as osteoarthritis) and cause weakening of the cartilage tissue.
A lumbar disc bulge occurs when the fibrous (or outer) annulus becomes unable to maintain its shape under pressure and gives way, bulging outward, almost always toward the spinal canal (causing stenosis) or nerve compression. This is where the pain and other symptoms arise.
Causes of disc protrusions
The natural aging process brings with it a loss of water in the cartilage tissue of the intervertebral discs. However, what causes an elderly person not to have lumbar protrusion but a young person to do so?
Well, in addition to the drying out due to aging (which greatly predisposes to the development of lumbar protrusion), there are various triggering factors such as:
- Wear and tear from high-impact sports injuries.
- Work activities involving heavy lifting.
- Congenital scoliosis (a slight curvature of the spine).
- Arthritis.
- Spinal injuries (a car accident, for example).
Symptoms
Siempre que el disco protruido no comprima la médula espinal o los nervios que emergen de ella, la protrusión será indolora y probablemente pase desapercibida.
Symptoms associated with nerve compression due to lumbar protrusion include:
- Pain in the lower part of the spine (in the lumbar region).
- Painful muscle spasms.
- Pain radiating to thighs and buttocks.
- Loss of sensation in the sides of the legs.
- Sensación de hormigueo o entumecimiento en la pierna.
- If the compression is very severe, muscle paralysis may occur, and if not treated in time, atrophy may occur.
These symptoms must be evaluated correctly and promptly by a spine specialist.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis consists of a thorough medical interview in which important information about the patient is gathered: characteristics and duration of pain, history of previous illnesses, lifestyle choices, activities performed, etc.
In addition, the doctor will assess neck joint mobility, the sites of pain, and the possible location of the injury. However, the diagnosis will not be complete until an MRI is performed to examine the degree of nerve compression.
Treatments
Treatment of lumbar protrusion in its early stages consists of:
- Medications for pain and inflammation, such as NSAIDs.
- Medications to relax muscles (if there is muscle contraction due to pain).
- Physical therapies such as postural training, cupping, electrical therapy, hot and cold therapy, spinal manipulation, core stabilization exercises, and muscle strengthening.
The most important thing to solve your back problems is to put yourself in the hands of a team of spine specialists.
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