If you have a herniated or prolapsed disc it can be very painful. Pain results from pressure that the prolapsed disc puts on nerves within the spine. These nerves serve the legs and this is the reason your legs can hurt from back problems. A prolapsed disc in your lower spine can cause pain to shoot down your legs. You may feel a stabbing or throbbing pain, or your legs may feel numb. Nerve pain may be in the form of needles and pins or a feeling of being shocked. Pain from a prolapsed disc can make sleep and work almost impossible.
It is important to stay active if you have a prolapsed disc. Of course this may not be possible for a few days. However, as soon as you can, you should try to get as much exercise as possible and avoid lying around for too long. If you can walk without discomfort, this is one of the best ways to keep active and get aerobic exercise. It also helps to keep blood circulating to the spine, and this is good for prolapsed disc problems.
When one is aging they are going to have a greater likelihood of being affected by back pain. Sometimes a prolapsed disc will be the problem that is associated with this pain. Of course a prolapsed disc is not as common as one might think either and only about five percent of the people who suffer from back pain have this problem.
The first thing that one needs to know in order to understand a prolapsed disc is that the vertebrae in the back have a disc that sits between them. To understand what this condition is one must understand that these discs are made from tissue that is more like rubber with the outside being more like a jelly. Basically a prolapsed disc is when one of these discs has a hernia.
Most prolapsed disc problems can often cause a great deal of pain. This is because the prolapsed disc can cause pressure to be placed on nerves that run to other body parts. This problem commonly causes pain in the lower back, buttocks, and in the legs.
