Does “slipped waist” indicate lumbar intervertebral disc disease?

In daily life, many people will accidentally sprain their waists, and pain usually occurs after a sprain. So what is the difference between a sprain and a lumbar disc herniation? Does a sprain indicate a lumbar disc herniation? What are the causes of a lumbar disc herniation?

Experts point out that "slipped waist" is the common name for acute traumatic low back pain, which refers to sudden pain in the waist and inability to move when doing something. It is medically called acute lumbar sprain. "Lumbago" is a type of acute low back pain that often occurs in daily life. Acute lumbar sprain often occurs among middle-aged and elderly people. Once a lumbar sprain occurs, the patient's waist immediately becomes stiff, and bending and rotating are difficult. The pain is severe and affects a large area. Muscle spasms, coughing or sneezing will make the pain worse and make it difficult to walk.

Lumbar disc herniation occurs on the basis of lumbar disc degeneration, and trauma is an important cause of its onset. After a person reaches the age of 20, the intervertebral disc begins to degenerate, the water content of the nucleus pulposus gradually decreases, and the elasticity and load-bearing capacity of the intervertebral disc also decreases accordingly. Due to the decrease in water content of the nucleus pulposus and the weakening of the annulus fibrosus due to excessive external force, nucleus pulposus herniation is more likely to occur.

In addition, experts said that "lumbar sprain" is more common in clinical practice due to lumbar myofascial sprain, acute lumbar ligament sprain and acute lumbar posterior joint sprain (synovial incarceration). Lumbar sprains in the elderly may also be caused by lumbar degenerative spondylosis, or spinal compression fractures due to vertebral damage caused by osteoporosis. A small number of lumbar disc herniations are also caused by "slipped lumbar spine", which is often accompanied by lower limb pain. Lumbar disc herniation is a common disease among middle-aged and elderly people. The so-called lumbar disc herniation refers to the disc wall of the lumbar disc protruding outward at a certain point or even rupturing. The intervertebral space between people is like a rubber bag filled with water. If any part of it is worn thin, it will bulge out in the thin part when it is subjected to greater pressure.

Finally, experts remind that the highest incidence of lumbar disc herniation is L4-L5 and L5-S1, accounting for more than 95% of all lumbar disc herniation. In addition, there are many diseases that can cause low back and leg pain, especially uncommon diseases that can easily be misdiagnosed as lumbar disc herniation.