57% of American adults over age sixty and 20% under age sixty have at least one herniated disc, also commonly referred to as a bulging or slipped disk.
What it feels like:
Those with a herniated disk in the lumbar spine may experience the following:
- Low back pain
- Leg pain
- Sciatica
- Numbness/tingling/weakness in the leg and/or foot
- Incontinence
Who is affected? Herniated discs most commonly affect older adults.
How common is it? This condition is extremely common especially in older adults. Younger patients who experience a herniated disk most likely have suffered an injury.
Risk factors:
- Age
- Genetics
- Overuse
- Injury
- Male
- Overweight
- Lack of exercise
- Smoking
- Occupation that requires long periods of sitting
Treatment:
- Medication
- Physical therapy
- Steroid injections
- Rest
- Surgery in some cases
Sometimes called a slipped or ruptured disk, a herniated disk most often occurs in your lower back. It is one of the most common causes of low back pain, as well as leg pain (sciatica). Between 60% and 80% of people will experience low back pain at some point in their lives. A high percentage of people will have low back and leg pain caused by a herniated disk. Although a herniated disk can sometimes be very painful, most people feel much better with just a few weeks or months of nonsurgical treatment.
For more information click here:
http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00534 or here:
http://www.depuysynthes.com/patients/ aabp/resources/ddd