How can you tell the difference between a slipped disc or just muscle spasms in your back?

Question

The pain started suddendly when I stood up from sitting at my computer. It has been hurting for 3 days now....sometimes sharp pain and sometimes just a dull achy feeling. I never get total relief although Tylenol helps. It hurts at the small of my back and the top of my hip bones on each side.

Answer 1

First of all if the problem is occuring at work, this may be a work related injury. Talk to your HR department and supervisor. You may want to open a workmen compensation case up. When people work on computers there alot of injuries that can arise for it. I would suggest a ergonomic evaluation to make sure your station is set up properly. Sometimes if the chair is too high or too low or your posture is poor resulting back problems may ensue.

In general, muscle spasm are very similiar to muscle cramps. To tell if you have muscle spasm, lay on your belly and have someone feel both sides of you lower back. Is one side tighter than the other. If so then you are having muscle spasms.

In term of slipped disk, if you did something and your disk slipped you may experience pain in your lower back near your spine. This can occur without compressing a nerve. If it is a large slipped disk and large enough to push on a nerve, then in addition to back pain you will also have radicular symptoms. In other words, you will have pains shooting down you legs or experience leg numbness and or weakness.

Keep in mind, that muscle spasms and slipped disk can occur together. From you description, I suspect that it is mainly muscle spasms. Usually people are doing something fairly exertional when you get a slipped disk.

Go see a doctor. MRI and Xray are COMPLETELY USELESS initially. Start with conservative treatment namely ice you back, NSAIDS like motrin and alleve, physical therapy and ergonomic evaluation. The reason i say mri and xrays are useless initially is because at this stage of the ballgame even if you have a slipped disk conservative management is still the treatment. If you find a slipped disk without pain going down the leg you would not do a cortisone injection and who in there right mind would want to do back surgery without first trying conservative therapy. If conservative therapy works and your back gets better, who cares what the MRI said and it would have be a waste of money to do it. Xrays do not pick up muscle spasms or slipped disk.

Answer 2

I can't say for sure cus I haven't had a slipped disc. I understand it's very painful. I have however had muscle spasms which feel as tho I have been kicked in the back. Spasms aren't usually sharp pain, I don't think. They are more of a dull constant ache. I would suggest a trip to a chiropractor. It could be something as simple as your hips being out and you will experience relief almost immediately. In the meantime over the counter muscle relaxants may help you a little. Hope this helps.

Answer 3

I've had both. Let me tell you, I feel your pain!

If you have a slipped disc everything you do will hurt. You may also feel tingling and numbness in your thighs, butt, legs, and toes.

Muscle spasms, on the other hand, just hurt in the region that they are coming from.

I would highly suggest going to a doctor for x-rays (slipped disc or just muscle spasms caused by bone detioration can both be detected this way), muscle relaxant, and pain medication as Ibuprofen doesn't cut it. What I did, the last time I was in pain was take Aleve (an anti-inflammatory) every 4 hours and Tylenol (for pain) eveyr 2 hours as directed by my physician's nurse.

Muscle relaxants, prescribed by your doctor, work wonders, even though they do cause fatigue, until your doctor can figure out what is going on.

Answer 4

with a slipped disk (prolapse) you prob would not have been able to even write this email. the vetebral disk would pressurize your back nerves so much that you would most likely have an extreme amount of pain in your back disabeling you from walking and moving around. it could be muscle spasms as well as a nerve that's squeezed in the back = could explain the type of pain you are having.
no matter what: go and see your personal doctor soon, only he can determine the real cause of the pain and start the proper treatment (spasms: muscle relaxant or/and phys. therapy) for a squeezed nerver he'll probably will strech your spine and that's it. a mri is not necessary most of the time, but you never know.
please go and get it checked out.

good luck to you

Answer 5

Well, a slipped disc is caused by a wrong pressure distribution in the spine - the slip is actually pushed out of its place putting pressure onto the spinal cord.

Which ever of the two mentioned cases apply, there is a solution: Go for a manual one-time treatment called Atlasprofilax. The effect is simply amazing - your disc will recover completely, and muscle spasms are reduced.

Just - the treatment is available in California and Europe only, costing approx. 220 dollars. It's really worth travelling far.

Answer 6

As an expectant dad in bed I used to feel the baby in my wife's womb kicking me. If my wife had a muscle spasm it did not usually affect me. The baby's arms and feet movements under the bump can be seen when it becomes vigorous. The moment when the baby first starts to move is called "quickening".

For the best answers, search on this site https://smarturl.im/aDAcm

Answer 7

Discover The Inside Secrets to Back Pain Relief And how you can drastically reduce your pain and eliminate your need for treatment - http://cureforpain.info/dr-jerry-kennedy-468.html

A simple-to-use, step-by-step system that is full of life changing benefits:

+) Show you exactly how to get the most out of the Back Pain
+) The Printable Guide is the workbook that gives you simple to follow instructions, tips and recommendations.
+) It also gives some simple tips to guarantee your success.

Ready to Take Control of Your Pain? Start treating your pain from home and start feeling better today

Discover Right Now - http://cureforpain.info/dr-jerry-kennedy-468.html

So if you are someone who thinks you will always have back pain and that’s just they way it is…eventually, you are going to have to change your mind about that. And the sooner…the better.

Answer 8

beware. i dnt want to scare u but in 2002 i had the similar problem . i had a very bad pain , i took pain killer and ignored it . And after a weeks time when i returned from college and got down from my bike , i got stuck ini one place , ie i could barely move . SOMEHOW I WAS taken to hospital. MRI was done n it was found that i had a slip disc. Go to the orth doc immidiately. Or start , on advice , phsio. Are ur legs shaking while coming down stairs. dont ignore body sign. Remember prevention is better then cure or u m ay have to face the music shortly if u dnt act promtly...... its only an advice . doctor will be abale to guide to proper;;y. he will tell u whether or not ur this condition itself is a slip disc. According to me MRI is not useless n is necessary to asses ur condition.

Answer 9

You will need to see your physician for an x-ray and possibly an MRI. The normal course of treatment is diagnostic imaging, anti-inflamatory medication, physical therapy. If all conservative measures fail, then you'll see a spine doc re: surgery. It's not uncommon for them to "wait and see" for a few weeks - but it's important to see your doc just in case.

For me personally, ice helps tremendously with the pain.

Answer 10

Stop Back Pain Instantly