Pinched Nerve vs Herniated Disc: What’s Causing Your Pain?

You have pain in your neck or back. Now it’s shooting down your arm or leg. Is it a pinched nerve? A herniated disc? Or are they the same thing?

A pinched nerve and a herniated disc are closely related, but they aren’t the same. In fact, a herniated disc is one possible cause of a pinched nerve.

What Is a Pinched Nerve?

A pinched nerve happens when nearby tissue puts pressure on a nerve. This pressure can irritate the nerve and affect how it works. When a spinal nerve root becomes irritated or compressed, doctors may call it radiculopathy.

Pressure may come from:

A narrowing around the nerve
Arthritis
Bone spurs
Swelling
An injury
A herniated disc

The pain may travel along the affected nerve instead of staying in your neck or back. A pinched nerve in your neck may cause symptoms in your shoulder, arm or hand. One in your lower back may cause pain that travels through your buttock and leg, commonly called sciatica.

Nerve pain may feel:

Sharp
Burning
Shooting
Like an electric shock

You may also have tingling, numbness, or muscle weakness. Coughing, sneezing, or certain movements may make the pain worse.

What Is a Herniated Disc?

Your spine is made of bones called vertebrae with flexible discs between them. Each disc has a soft center surrounded by a tougher outer layer. A herniated disc develops when some of the soft material pushes through a weak or torn area in the outer layer.

You may also hear a herniated disc called a slipped or ruptured disc, although the disc doesn’t actually slip out of place.

Herniated discs are most common in the lower back but can also develop in the neck. Many develop gradually as the discs become less flexible with age.

A herniated disc doesn’t always cause pain. Some are discovered only after imaging for another reason. Symptoms can develop when the herniated disc causes inflammation or puts pressure on a nearby nerve root.

Pinched Nerve vs Herniated Disc: How Can You Tell the Difference?

It can be hard to tell the difference based on symptoms alone. Both problems can cause pain that travels into your arm or leg. You may also have tingling, numbness or weakness.

The key difference is that a pinched nerve describes what’s happening to the nerve. A herniated disc describes a problem with one of the discs in your spine.

The two can happen together. A herniated disc can press on a nerve and cause a pinched nerve. But arthritis, bone spurs and narrowing around a nerve can also cause nerve compression.

How Is the Cause Diagnosed?

Your doctor will start by asking:

Where your pain starts
Where it travels
What it feels like
Which movements affect it

Your doctor may also test your reflexes, sensation, muscle strength, walking, balance and neck or back movement.
Imaging isn’t always needed right away. It may be recommended if your symptoms continue or you develop worsening numbness or weakness.

Electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction studies may be used when the location or cause of the nerve problem isn’t clear.

Should I See a Doctor?

Make an appointment if your pain doesn’t improve, travels into an arm or leg or comes with numbness or weakness.

Don’t wait to get checked if muscle weakness is getting worse. Ongoing nerve compression can sometimes lead to lasting weakness or numbness.

Seek urgent medical care for:

New loss of bladder or bowel control
Numbness around the groin or inner thighs
Worsening weakness
Difficulty walking
Symptoms affecting both legs

These symptoms can be signs of serious nerve compression and require immediate medical care.

Get Answers About Pinched Nerve vs Herniated Disc Pain

You don’t have to figure out pinched nerve vs herniated disc pain on your own. Getting the right diagnosis is the first step toward finding a treatment that fits your needs and getting back to the things you enjoy.

Axion Spine & Neurosurgery treats neck, back, and nerve pain in Atlanta, Alpharetta, and College Park. Schedule an appointment to find out what’s causing your pain and discuss your treatment options.