Herniated disc disorders

What are herniated disc disorders?

In between each of the 26 bones, called vertebrae, that make up your spine are discs. These discs are made up of a jelly-like substance and act as cushions for your spine.

A herniated (or slipped) disc occurs when all or part of a disc is forced through a weakened part of the spine. This may place pressure on nearby nerves or the spinal cord.

The lower back is most commonly affected by herniated discs. Some common symptoms of a herniated or slipped disc include:

  • Pain that occurs on one side of the body.
  • Sharp pain in one part of the leg, hip, or buttocks and numbness in other parts. You may also feel pain or numbness on the back of the calf or sole of the foot. The same leg may also feel weak. These are usually indications of a slipped disc in the lower part of the spine.
  • Pain when moving your neck or deep pain near or over the shoulder blade. You may also feel pain that moves to the upper arm, forearm, and fingers and numbness along your shoulder, elbow, forearm, and fingers. These are common symptoms when you have a slipped disc in your neck.

The pain of a slipped disc often feels worse:

  • After standing or sitting
  • At night
  • When sneezing, coughing, or laughing
  • When bending backward or walking more than a few yards
Medical illustration of spinal disc herniation

Diagnosis of herniated disc disorders

A careful physical exam and a review of medical history is almost always the first step in diagnosing a herniated disc.

Depending on where you have symptoms, your doctor examines your neck, shoulder, arms, and hands, or your lower back, hips, legs, and feet.

Your doctor will check:

  • For numbness or loss of feeling
  • Your muscle reflexes, which may be slower or missing
  • Your muscle strength, which may be weaker
  • Your posture, or the way your spine curves

Your doctor may also ask you to:

  • Sit, stand, and walk. While you walk, your doctor may ask you to try walking on your toes and then your heels.
  • Bend forward, backward, and sideways
  • Move your neck forward, backward, and sideways
  • Raise your shoulders, elbow, wrist, and hand and check your strength during these tasks

Leg pain that occurs when you sit down on an exam table and lift your leg straight up usually suggests a slipped disc in your lower back.

In another test, you will bend your head forward and to the sides while the health care provider puts slight downward pressure on the top of your head. Increased pain or numbness during this test is usually a sign of pressure on a nerve in your neck.

Other diagnostic tests your doctor may recommend include:

Treatment at Penn Medicine

Herniated discs are initially treated with a period of rest along with pain and anti-inflammatory medications. Your health care team will next suggest physical therapy to help ease pain and improve your range of motion. If pain and other symptoms persist, your health care team will likely recommend surgery to remove the herniated portion of the disc. 

Related specialties

Patient stories

How pickleball (and Penn Medicine) saved one patient’s life

With teamwork and determination, specialists at Penn Medicine solved Ronnie Recchia’s life-threatening medical mystery and got him back in the game.

Tool measures tumor growth for less uncertainty between scans

Neuroradiologists have developed the first-ever tool that gives a real-time assessment of an individual’s tumor, and relieves anxiety between scans.

Epilepsy surgery gives patient a new lease on life

Minimally invasive laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) surgery reduced the epilepsy symptoms a patient had experienced for more than 30 years.

CNN anchor Kasie Hunt had brain surgery at Penn

Before starting her own daily news show, journalist Kasie Hunt came to Penn Medicine for a growing brain tumor that was causing painful headaches.

In the face of skin cancer, proton made all the difference

A Lancaster man and father of two reveals how proton therapy helped him beat skin cancer and reclaim his life.

A hole in the heart repaired

After a heart attack, Vilma Patel's family brought her from India to Lancaster for lifesaving VSD repair.

A minimally invasive solution to seizures

When Betsy Berlin's seizures returned after 24 years, medication was no longer helping. A minimally invasive procedure gave her the relief she needed.

Redefining the cancer bell to celebrate with meaning

The Abramson Cancer Center wants to make bell-ringing more inclusive, so cancer patients can recognize their moments to cheer, large and small.

From a bone-on-bone jaw to living the life she planned

Penn Medicine’s expert team helped Kristina navigate a complex diagnosis and nickel allergy to alleviate her jaw pain and improve her bite.

Essential tremor patient finds relief

When his essential tremor symptoms became severe, Jim McDevitt turned to Dr. Iahn Cajigas and the team at Penn Medicine for help.

Schedule an appointment

We can help you schedule an appointment or you can search our directory of specialists.