When referring to spinal cord injuries, a “disc” is the soft, squishy matter between vertebra that act as a shock absorber allowing vertebra to move independently. This is what gives you the freedom to bend and twist in many directions.
A healthy spinal column acts like the body’s telephone line — as our firm’s spinal cord injury lawyers in San Diego would say — passing messages from the brain to the rest of the body through nerves in the vertebrae. When a herniated disc injury occurs, it can swell and press against a nerve in the spinal cord, causing numbness or pain and suffering that may spread up the back or down the legs.
Why a herniated disc can cause serious spinal cord problems.
Some examples of terms used to describe a herniated disc include:
- Pinched nerve
- Sciatica
- Bulging disc
- Ruptured disc
- Slipped disc
- Disc protrusion
My back doesn’t hurt that bad, what should I do?
Your pain level does not always indicate how bad your spinal cord injury is. A large herniated disc can be completely painless, while a muscle spasm from a simple back strain may cause excruciating pain. The severity of your pain may not be enough to diagnose a spinal cord injury, and an MRI may be needed.
What feels like whiplash can actually turn out to be a disc problem, and it may be days or weeks before you show symptoms. Once you accept a settlement from an insurance company, you cannot ask for more money if your injuries get worse. Talk to a doctor about your injuries and make sure.
No single treatment works best for all patients. Different treatment may be required for a herniated disc. These treatments include medication, physical therapy, chiropractic or orthopedic treatment as well as steroids or cortisone injections. If your herniated disc is bad enough, surgery may even be required to get relief from the symptoms.
Our spinal cord injury lawyers want to stress the importance of seeing a doctor to diagnose and treat a possible disc injury. If you are not comfortable with your doctor’s diagnosis, don’t be afraid to get a second — or even third — opinion.
If you or someone you know has a spinal cord injury or was paralyzed during an accident, contact our bilingual San Diego law firm at 1-858-551-2090 for a FREE consultation with an experienced spinal cord injury lawyers. You may also click here and submit your case for a FREE online review. We work on a contingency fee basis, which means you owe nothing until we recover a fair settlement on your behalf.

SENIOR PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEY & FIRM FOUNDER
Michael Pines is a former insurance company attorney who graduated from the University of California Hastings College of the Law in 1987. While he was an insurance attorney, he learned from behind the scenes how insurance companies work and how they decide how much to pay injured people. Now that he works against insurance companies, Michael’s inside knowledge has resulted in significant benefits to his clients injured in car accidents. Learn more about Michael Pines