Even if you’ve never suffered a back or neck injury in the past, you’ve probably heard about just how painful these can be. This is particularly true if you suffer a serious injury, such as a herniated disk.
While anyone can suffer a herniated disk, your occupation may put you at greater risk. For example, if you work in construction and spend most your day pulling, lifting and twisting, there’s a greater chance you’ll suffer this type of injury at some point in your life.
Here are some of the top signs of a herniated disk:
- Leg or arm pain: In addition to pain in your lower back, most herniated disks result in leg and/or arm pain as well.
- Tingling or numbness: If you have a herniated disk, you’ll almost always experience tingling or numbness in a body part served by the impacted nerves.
- Weakness: Depending on the severity and reach of your herniated disk, it could lead to weakness in one or more body parts.
While rest is a good thing, you don’t want to hesitate to seek medical attention for a herniated disk. Even if you don’t know what’s wrong, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
If you come to find that you have a herniated disk, you should work with your doctor to implement a recovery plan. You don’t want to sit around and hope for the best, as this type of injury has the potential to linger.
If your occupation contributed to your herniated disk, you may be in position to file a claim for workers’ compensation benefits.
Source: Mayo Clinic, “Herniated disk,” accessed May 09, 2018