Department of Orthopaedic Surgery

Symptoms of disc herniation in the lower back are slightly different from symptoms in the cervical or thoracic parts of the spine. The spinal cord ends near the top lumbar vertebrae but the lumbar and sacral nerve roots continue through these spinal bones. A lumbar disc herniation may cause:

• Lower back pain
• Pain, weakness or tingling in the legs, buttocks and feet
• Difficulty moving your lower back
• Problems with bowel, bladder or erectile function, in severe cases