Lumbar disc herniation generally has four symptoms. The first is pain, manifested as low back pain or lower limb radiation pain. Typical symptoms are low back pain or numbness and pain in one lower limb. The second is numbness, from hip to thigh, to calf, or to instep. The third kind is weakness, which is manifested as ankle extension or thumb extension weakness. The fourth type is chills in the little finger, which is rare in clinic, mainly in the calf and instep or sole.

Lumbar disc herniation is a syndrome caused by disc degeneration, fibrous ring rupture and nucleus pulposus protrusion stimulating or compressing nerve roots and cauda equina, which is one of the most common causes of low back and leg pain. The incidence of lumbar disc herniation is the highest (about 90% ~ 96%) in lumbar 4 ~ 5 and lumbar 5 ~ sacrum 1 space, and only 5% ~ 22% of them have multiple intervertebral spaces at the same time. Lumbar disc herniation is more common in young adults, male than female, accounting for about 6% under 20 years old, and the incidence rate of the elderly is low. The disease often brings a lot of pain to patients' life and work, and even causes disability and loss of work ability.

Three stages of lumbar disc herniation: the nucleus pulposus can become fragments or scar-like connective tissue due to degeneration and injury; Denatured fiber rings will become thinner and softer, or cracks will occur due to repeated injuries. These changes can lead to discomfort and pain in the waist. Adolescent patients can rupture the annulus fibrosus and protrude the nucleus pulposus without degeneration due to strong violence.

Protrusion metaphase: when the pressure in the intervertebral disc increases due to trauma or normal activity, the nucleus pulposus protrudes from the weak point or rupture of the annulus fibrosus. Protrusions stimulate or compress nerve tissue, causing low back and leg pain, and in severe cases causing dysfunction of urination and defecation. In elderly patients, the whole fibrous ring is weakened and relaxed, the intervertebral disc can bulge around, and the anteroposterior diameter of the plane spinal canal becomes smaller.

Late stage of protrusion: intervertebral disc protrusion fibrosis or calcification; The intervertebral space is narrowed, and the vertebral bone hyperplasia; Thickening and ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament; Hypertrophy, calcification and even ossification of ligamentum flavum; Degeneration of vertebral facet joints: due to the narrowing and instability of intervertebral space, the load of vertebral facet joints increases, causing excessive riding, hypertrophy, proliferation and ossification of articular capsule ligaments, resulting in osteoarthritis; Secondary spinal stenosis.

Degeneration is the basic cause of lumbar disc herniation: with the increase of age, the water content of annulus fibrosus and nucleus pulposus gradually decreases, which reduces the tension of nucleus pulposus and makes the disc thinner. At the same time, hyaluronic acid and keratinized sulfate decreased, low molecular weight glycoprotein increased, fibrosis and collagen fiber deposition increased, nucleus pulposus lost elasticity, intervertebral disc structure relaxed, cartilage plate cystic change. Nuclear magnetic resonance (MRI) confirmed that intervertebral disc degeneration can occur in adolescents aged 15.

Injury: cumulative injury force is the main cause of intervertebral disc degeneration and the inducement of intervertebral disc herniation. In the cumulative injury, repeated bending and twisting actions are most likely to cause disc injury, so this disease is closely related to some occupations and types of work.

Genetic factors: the incidence of colored people is low; About 32% of adolescent patients under 20 years old have a positive family history.

Classification of Lumbar Disc Herniation Reversible Lumbar Disc Herniation: The protrusion can be withdrawn by itself or the symptoms can be relieved after non-surgical treatment, such as lordosis.

Irreversible protrusion: protrusion can not be returned, and non-surgical treatment is ineffective, such as free type, protrusion fibrosis, calcification or adhesion to surrounding tissues.

The prevention of lumbar disc herniation should be combined with rest and work, and the diet structure should be reasonable. Prevention work should start from school, family, work and pre-job training. It is necessary to understand the correct labor posture, pay attention to labor protection, and avoid accelerating the degeneration of lumbar intervertebral disc and the injury based on it.

Insist on health examination: Teenagers or staff should have regular health examination, and pay attention to check whether there is congenital or idiopathic spinal deformity. For workers engaged in strenuous waist exercises, such as athletes and acrobats, it is necessary to strengthen the protection of the back to prevent repeated injuries; Correct bad working posture.

Strengthen muscle exercise: Strong back muscles can prevent back soft tissue injury, abdominal muscles and intercostal muscles can increase intra-abdominal pressure and intra-thoracic pressure, which helps to reduce the load of lumbar spine. If you can often do physical exercise such as swimming; Avoid being overweight; Keep warm.

To sum up, if the symptoms do not disappear after intervertebral disc surgery, you must go to the hospital and not let it go.