My Spine - Lumbar
A herniated cervical or thoracic disc, on the other hand, can compress the
cord or the nerve roots as they leave the spinal cord.
What are the symptoms?
When the part of the nucleus that herniated compresses the nerves in the
spinal canal, you may experience back pain and pain in one or both legs.
Some people experience pins and needles in the legs and feet. Pain and dis-
comfort may also be sensed in the hip, between the shoulder blades and in the
groin. Later on, symptoms such as weakness and unsteadiness of the legs and
feet, may be experienced. In Cauda Equina syndrome the nerves to the blad-
der and bowel are affected, leading to dysfunction of control of the bowel and
bladder.
How is it diagnosed?
A clinical examination by your specialist or therapist will allow for a reason-
able suspicion, but the only definite way is by doing a magnetic resonance
imaging (MRI) scan (see the chapter Tests and Scans). Sometimes, because
of technical factors, a CT scan is performed (see the chapter Tests and Scans).
This is usually when an MRI scan cannot be performed due to the unavail-
ability of an MRI scanner, when there are contra-indications to doing a scan
or when technical factors such as the presence of certain metal fusion appa-
ratus in the spine make an MRI scan unreliable.
See the chapter Tests and Scans for the terminology that you will find on your
MRI scan report and what it means in plain English. Other tests that might be
used are discograms and nerve blocks. Sometimes electromyograms (EMGs)
are also used (see the chapter Tests and Scans).
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