Los Angeles Injury Lawyer Blog

A herniated disk is a serious injury which goes by many names: slipped disc, bulging disc, ruptured disc and disc protrusion. Herniated discs usually occur as a result of the damaging of your spine due to an accident (such as a fall, slip or motor vehicle collision), dangerous repetitive action, or sudden and severe stress to the back. The bones that form your spine are cushioned by small, spongy discs. Healthy discs serve as spinal shock absorbers and maintain flexibility. When a disc is damaged by a traumatic or long-term event, it can bulge or break open. The result is a herniated disc, also called a slipped disc, ruptured disc or disc protrusion. A herniated disk can occur in any region of your spine – upper (lumbar), lower (cervical) or middle (thoracic). Most herniated discs affect the lower back. In today’s blog we will discuss Part I of Herniated Disc Injuries covering: How a Slipped Disc Happens, Symptoms of a Ruptured Disc, and Diagnosis of a Herniated Disk. Check tomorrow’s blog for Herniated Disk Part II which will cover: Causes of Disc Protrusion, Long-Term Problems Related to Herniated Discs, and Risk Factors for Bulging Discs.

How a Slipped Disc happens:
An injury to the spine can make small cracks or tears in the outer layer of your disc, known the capsule or annulus. The result is the material inside your disc (nucleus) can be forced out into the outer layer of the disc. Then the disc can start to bulge, rupture, or break into pieces. Age can also cause the outer disc layer to dry out and therefore increase the risk of herniated discs.

Herniated discs go through three different progressions. Pain and numbness may be felt at any phase.

• Bulging Disc: Some of the gel (nucleus) inside your disc leaks into the cracks in the outer disc. The result is a disc bulging out from between your vertebrae. You may not feel any symptoms if the bulge does not go towards your spinal cord.


• Ruptured Disc: The nucleus completely breaks through the outer layer of your disc.


• Free Fragment: Pieces of your broken disc can break completely free and lodge in the spinal canal.

Symptoms of a Ruptured Disc:
Pain, numbness, and weakness will result from disc material pressing on a nerve. A herniated disc in the lower back region can trigger “sciatica” or pain and numbness in the buttocks and down the leg. This is the most frequent symptom of a herniated disc in lower back. If a herniated disc is not pressing on a nerve, you may have a backache or no pain.

Diagnosis of a Herniated Disk:
A doctor will begin to diagnose a herniated disc by inquiring about your symptoms and making a thorough examination. This will often be followed by tests such as an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) or a CT (computerized tomography) scan to confirm a herniated disc diagnosis.

If you or a family member have a herniated disc injury due to an accident or an on the job injury, you should talk to an experienced attorney. If you are located in California, call us at the Law Offices of Greenberg & Rudman LLP for a free consultation at 1-800-ALAWPRO (1-800-252-9776).

To learn more about Herniated Disks, click here to read Part II of Herniated Disk Lawyer California: Back Injury Through Work or an Accident?