How Do I Know If I Have Ruptured a Disc in My Spine?

Having a ruptured disc can be painful; besides robbing you of being productive, the pain can prevent you from enjoying everyday life. A ruptured disc is also known as a herniated disc. This occurs when a fragile vertebral disc has basically given up all hope of properly supporting the spine and the inner core of the disc has freed itself from its proper place inside the vertebrae. 

The inner core of a spinal disc is actually a sort of gel. When a disc ruptures, this gel has leaked out of the outer portion of the disc and become a nuisance to the nerve fibers outside of the inner disc. This can occur in any part of the spine, but is most common in the lumbar (lower) portion of the back. Some common symptoms of a ruptured disc are pain and numbness, usually on one side of the body, pain that extends to the arms or legs and pain that gets worse at night or with certain movements. 

If you are experiencing one or more of these symptoms, do not ignore them. A severely ruptured disc can lead to permanent nerve damage in the spine. Ruptured discs can be serious, so don’t try to tough it out if your symptoms are not responding to rest. No matter which portion of your spine is causing symptoms, it is vitally important that you have your physician address them immediately.

Dr. John Aldridge: John W. Aldridge, MD is a Board Certified orthopaedic surgeon that has been specializing in minimally invasive muscle sparing spinal surgery and total joint replacement surgery in the Hampton Roads area since 2002. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland under a full academic scholarship. He received his medical degree from the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University in New York, New York. He completed his orthopaedic surgery residency and served as Chief Resident during his final year at the perennial US News and World Report Top 10 Orthopaedic Hospital, The New York Orthopaedic Hospital, Columbia University a division of the New York Presbyterian Hospital. While there, he was published in multiple orthopaedic journals and received the award given for orthopaedic excellence to graduating residents. During his time in practice he continues to bring proven and innovative techniques for spinal surgery and total joint replacement of the hip, knee, shoulder and elbow to the Hampton Roads Community. He was the first on the Peninsula to perform the Axialiff spinal surgery and the Zimmer Gender Specific Total Knee replacement, both of which were featured in the Daily Press. He has instructed other surgeons nationally for both hip and knee replacements and continues to do so for the Anterior Total Hip Replacement. He is also the lead developer for the instruments used for the anterior total hip replacement technique for one of the major orthopaedic companies. In addition to his many interests in the field of orthopaedics, he also serves as a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army Reserves. Currently, Dr. Aldridge serves as Medical Director for the Workers’ Compensation Department at HROSM. Learn more at https://www.hrosm.com