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Your spine is made up of 24 vertebrae that are separated from one another by pads of cartilage called discs. The discs help to cushion the vertebrae from shocks and strains that your spine experiences from various movements. The discs are susceptible to injury, disease, and degeneration over time.

The inside of a disc is made up of soft material and covered with a stronger outside material. When the soft interior material pushes out of the disc due to a tear in the outer covering, the disc becomes herniated. The disc is no longer in its normal condition. The herniated disc then causes pain, numbness, or weakness in the lower back, leg or foot. Other names used for herniated discs are "prolapsed", "bulging", "ruptured".

Signs of a herniated disc include shooting pain down your leg (or arm if it is a neck injury), loss of balance, tingling, weakness, pain in the thigh, muscle spasms and in very severe cases, loss of bladder or bowel control. The frequency and types of symptoms varies based on the size and severity of the herniation.

We often see herniated disc injuries occur from repetitive lifting on the job as well as a singular trauma like lifting a heavy box, being rear ended in a car accident, etc. If you have a herniated disc from a work injury or an accident (e.g. car accident, slip and fall, etc.), it would likely be the type of case that workers' compensation or personal injury attorneys want to pursue. You may want to consider pursuing your workers’ compensation or personal injury case to ensure that you are adequately compensated for your increased medical expenses, lost wages and other associated costs.

Above all else, a herniated disc is a major injury that for many people can drastically alter their life and well being if it is not treated properly. We highly recommend that if you have any herniated disc symptoms that you immediately see an orthopedic doctor or a neurosurgeon.

If you would like to find an attorney that can answer questions about a herniated disc injury that took place on the job or from someone else's negligence, please do not hesitate to contact us. Please call us at (312) 346-5320 or (800) 517-1614 or fill out our contact us form and we will contact you. All inquiries are free and confidential.