Various types of work tasks can result in motions or body movements that cause herniated discs. According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), a herniated disc can result from either a “single excessive strain or injury,” or from “disc material degeneration” that occurs over time as a result of aging and certain movements. When a person is experiencing disc material degeneration, the AANS emphasizes that “a relatively minor strain or twisting movement can cause a disc to rupture.” If you have been diagnosed with a herniated disc following a workplace accident or as a result of repetitive workplace tasks, it is important to seek more information from a workers’ compensation lawyer in Pompano Beach about seeking wage replacement benefits and medical coverage.
What Are Herniated Discs?
What is a herniated disc? As the Mayo Clinic explains, a herniated disc is a particular category of injury that “refers to a problem with one of the rubbery cushions (disks) that sit between the bones (vertebrae) that stack to make your spine.” Herniated discs can happen in any part of a person’s spine, but they are more common in a person’s lower back, which is also known as the lumbar spine. Beyond the lower back, herniated discs tend to occur most frequently in a person’s neck, which is also known as the cervical spine.
The AANS clarifies that the term “herniated disc” might also be referred to as a bulged disc, slipped disc, or ruptured disc. Generally speaking, it is “a fragment of the disc nucleus that is pushed out of the annulus, into the spinal canal through a tear or rupture in the annulus.”
Common Symptoms of a Herniated Disc
The symptoms of a herniated disc will depend on where, specifically, the herniated disc has occurred. For example, a herniated disc in the lumbar spine may produce slightly different symptoms than a herniated in the neck. Generally speaking, however, the Mayo Clinic explains that a herniated disc will usually result in one or more of the following on just one side of the body:
- Arm pain or leg pain, depending upon the location of the herniated disc;
- Numbness or tingling; and/or
- Weakness in the muscles, which can affect a person’s ability to lift items with their affected arm or difficulty walking or stumbling with the affected leg.
How to Seek Workers’ Compensation Benefits for a Herniated Disc
Like any other workplace injury, you will need to report the herniated disc to your employer within 30 days from the date of the traumatic incident that resulted in the herniated disc, or within 30 days of receiving your diagnosis if the herniated disc was caused by exertion over an extended period of time.
Contact Our Pompano Beach Workers’ Compensation Lawyers
If you sustained a herniated disc in an accident at work or were diagnosed with a work-related herniated disc, you could be eligible to obtain workers’ compensation benefits in Florida. You should get in touch with an experienced Pompano beach workers’ compensation attorney at the Law Offices of David M. Benenfeld, P.A. to learn more about the claims process and to find out how our firm can assist you.
Sources:
aans.org/en/Patients/Neurosurgical-Conditions-and-Treatments/Herniated-Disc#:~:text=A%20herniated%20disc%20
mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/herniated-disk/symptoms-causes/syc-20354095
leg.state.fl.us/STATUTES/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0400-0499/0440/0440ContentsIndex.html
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