Causes of a Herniated Disc

When some or all the soft central region of a disk is pushed through any area of the disk that has weakened, a person has a herniated disc. In the case of the lumbar disk being affected, pain is felt in the back and leg whereas for a cervical disk, pain radiates to the neck and arm. A herniated disc is caused by a number of things. For instance, a car accident could be the cause. However, this particular problem is often seen in middle aged people, especially men. Anyone involved in heavy lifting or strenuous exercise or activity could be at risk. There are cases when a person would be born with a congenital condition, in which case the size of the canal is affected. Depending on the level of symptoms and degree of the damage, treatment could be medication or it might require surgery.