Can i have a herniated disc and not have any symptoms?

Yes: A herniated disk is a term often used to describe MRI images and can be present without symptoms. A herniated disk on MRI must be correlated to a patient's symptoms. Symptomatic herniated disks most often present as shooting nerve pain down the arm or leg on the side of the herniation.

Yes: You may have no symptoms with a herniated disc.

50%: If you take mris of the general population, a full 50% will show bulges or herniations. Disk herniations typically cause axial pain. Radicular pain, as described by dr. Lee, is experienced when the disc herniation displaces a nerve root.

Yes: Not only can you, but the vast majority of herniated discs are not painful. We know this by looking at many mris of patients without back pain where many herniated discs are seen. Getting a herniated disc is like getting a cold or a headache. It is part of life. Some herniated discs can cause pain, however. The art of the evaluator is to discern whether your disc is what is causing your pain.