No pain, no gain. Whether you're a weekend warrior or you follow a strict workout schedule, you've likely muttered this to yourself every time you overwork your body.

While it's normal to experience pain after strenuous activity, if you have severe back pain, you shouldn't pass it off as a natural result of exercise. You may have strained a muscle, but you could also have a disc rupture, also called a herniated disc.

Despite the pain usually associated with ruptured discs, some people don't even know they have a problem. They have no pain!

Are you wondering if you have (or had) a ruptured spinal disc? While your body won't speak to you in an audible voice, it will give you signs. Explore seven ways your body lets you know you have a disc problem.

1. Severe Low Back Pain

On the pain level scale, the number ten represents the most severe pain. If you can rate your pain at a level 10, or even worse, feel like it's way off the scale, your body is trying to alert you to something serious.

Since strains and sprains of muscles, joints, and ligaments can all cause severe pain, how do you differentiate between a strained muscle and a ruptured disc?

More often than not, severe low back pain accompanied by sciatica indicates a disc rupture. The affected disc is part of the lumbar spine.

2. A Pain in the Neck

Have you evolved from being a pain in the neck to feeling pain in your neck? Your older brother may still tease you about it, but neck pain is not a joking matter.

Your neck is part of your spinal column. Beginning at the base of your skull, the first seven vertebrae make up the cervical spine.

A ruptured disc in the neck can cause neck pain, but it doesn't stop there. Pain may also radiate down your arm. Many people experience shoulder pain as well.

If you’re looking for the first signs of a disc issue, heed the early warning of arm and neck pain.

3. Tingling or Numbness in Your Hands

Pain isn’t the only way your body alerts you to a possible problem with a disc in the spinal column. Tingling, numbness, and even weakness in your hands can indicate a disc rupture.

Healthy discs prevent the vertebrae of the spine from rubbing against each other.

When a disc ruptures, it moves out of place. If the disc compresses a spinal column nerve, the nerve sends a message to the brain. Discs located in the cervical spine impact the hands, and sometimes arms and shoulders.

4. Electric Shock Sensations

Have you ever received a shock from an electrical outlet or appliance? A ruptured disc can trigger irritation in the sciatic nerve.

If you feel something like an electric shock or cold on one side of your body, it’s a sign. Most people notice these sensations run from the trunk of the body to their foot.

Remember, sciatic nerve pain and a ruptured disc go together.

5. Do Your Legs Feel Weak?

Remember when you fell in love so hard, it made your knees weak? Weakness in your legs not caused by a new romance may be a nerve-related symptom of a ruptured disc.

The ruptured disc presses on the nerves in the lumbar spinal canal. The result is an unsettling feeling in the legs. It's as if your legs aren't able to support your weight.

Leg weakness paired with an inability to balance puts you at risk of falling. While you probably don't need to rush to the emergency room when you experience weakness in your legs, you will want to schedule an appointment with your health care provider as soon as you can.

6. It Hurts When You Laugh

Who hasn't laughed so hard they ended up rolling on the floor? Sometimes you laugh so hard it hurts.

Laughing, as well as coughing and sneezing, put pressure on your abdominal area. It doesn't usually cause a problem other than a bit of temporary discomfort—unless you have a ruptured disc.

If the abdominal pressure moves to the back, it can result in pain. Don't ignore the inconvenience of pain when you're trying to have a good laugh. Let your doctor determine whether you're experiencing pain due to a herniated disc.

7. When a Disc Rupture Causes Loss of Control

On a more serious note, sometimes, a ruptured spinal disc compresses the nerves responsible for bowel and bladder control. Back pain that comes on suddenly accompanied by difficulty urinating or, on the other end of the spectrum, loss of bladder control needs immediate medical attention.

A ruptured herniated disc can cause cauda equina syndrome.

The disc compresses the nerve roots at the bottom of the spinal cord. These nerves control the legs and the bowel, and the bladder. If the compression isn't relieved soon enough, you could end up with irreversible damage.

Loss of bowel and bladder control constitutes a medical emergency. You may need surgery to relieve the pressure.

Wondering if You Have a Disc Rupture?

Back pain is a common complaint. While not a common as general back pain, a disc rupture isn't anything to take lightly.

Get to know your body and how it reacts to muscle stress and strain. When you notice any of the signs we've talked about here, it's best not to put off getting a diagnosis.

The team at Elite Pain and Spine Institute specializes in ruptured disc treatment. Book an appointment today and get back on the road to pain-free living and good spinal health.

Did you know your brain doesn't feel pain?

While the brain itself doesn't feel pain, our bodies most definitely react to pain. Whether it's stubbing our toe or hitting our head, sharp pain can knock the wind out of you.

What do you do if the pain never seems to fade? Scar pain seems to last forever, and it can leave anyone feeling frustrated. Luckily, a pain management doctor can help.

Below you'll find out how pain management doctors can help with your scar tissue pain. Don't ignore the pain any longer.

What Is Scar Tissue Pain?

When healthy fibrous tissues are damaged, thick tissues take their place. This replacement tissue is scar tissue. Scar tissue doesn't always create pain, but it can create scar tissue pain over time as the nerve endings regenerate.

Scar tissue is created from a wound, cut, or internal disease. You may also notice pain in old scar tissue from a past surgery. The severity of the pain depends on the location and size of the scar.

Symptoms of scar tissue pain include sensitivity, decreased range of motion around the scar, redness, itchiness, and inflammation.

What Does a Pain Management Doctor Do?

Pain management doctors are specially trained to assess, diagnose, and treat extreme pain. Many people with chronic pain and pain after accidents seek help from these physicians. They can also help with creating scar tissue treatment plans.

They are equipped with a large toolbox of knowledge to first discover underlying conditions causing your pain, and then they will help you relieve the pain. Pain management doctors use interventional treatments and will recommend you to other therapies.

Some pain management doctors prescribe medication, help with weight loss plans, or recommend you for steroid injections. The type of treatments and referrals you receive depends on the underlying conditions and the type and severity of the pain.

How Can They Help With Scar Pain?

There are a variety of therapies and treatments a pain management doctor may recommend for scar tissue pain. Start your journey to relief by scheduling a consultation with a local pain management office.

At your appointment, describe the injury or surgery that caused your scar tissue. Make a point to mention the symptoms you feel and how long it's been since having the scar.

The doctor will then make scar tissue pain treatment plans based on what you've reported.

Physical Therapy

A major symptom of scar tissue pain is a reduction in mobility. Due to scars on locations such as your knee or shoulder, you may not be able to fully extend your arm or leg. You may also notice tightness or creaky noises when trying to move.

Physical therapy has helped many people with these complications. A physical therapist will create a list of exercises for you to perform that strengthen your muscles and joints. You may have to perform these exercises in a clinic or at home on your own.

If it's going to be a while before your pain management doctor is able to get you in with a physical therapist, ask for a list of exercises you're able to do safely at home in the meantime.

Injections, Topicals, and Dermabrasion

Some steroid injections are great for surface-level scarring. They're able to reduce some of the pain and inflammation around a healed wound.

Your pain management doctor may even send you to get Botox. While Botox injections won't cosmetically clear up your scar, they'll lower your pain level. Your muscles around the scar will relax with Botox injections.

Serums containing large amounts of vitamin C reduce minor scar tissue pain. If you're searching for an over-the-counter solution, try an antihistamine cream.

Dermabrasion, or other dermatologic procedures, are also helpful in reducing scar tissue pain. Many of these procedures require multiple sessions and may cause slight swelling directly after a procedure.

Massage and Compression

To reduce swelling and improve mobility, your pain management doctor may recommend seeing a massage therapist or chiropractor. It's important to inform a massage therapist of your pain before receiving any treatment.

Your pain doctor may also suggest picking up some compression wraps from the local drugstore. These wraps help reduce swelling and might even shrink the scar.

Surgery

In some extreme cases, corrective surgery is the solution. Surgery is often saved as a last resort, especially if the original scar is the result of past surgery.

Corrective surgery techniques often used include skin grafting or excision. Surgical excision is the removal of tissue by cutting it with a knife. Skin grafts involve taking skin from one area of the body and moving it to another.

If you're approved for surgery, find resources to help with post-surgery pain management. It's important to plan ahead and listen to your surgeon's instructions.

Other Solutions

Besides the ones mentioned above, there's a variety of other solutions and therapies your pain management doctor may recommend.

Your doctor may mention doing yoga on top of your physical therapy routine. Yoga helps strengthen muscles within your body while increasing mobility. It also reduces stress.

You might even give acupuncture a go! Thin needles are inserted into your body at specific points. It's been said to relieve pain.

As you get ready for the day, use some lotion on your scars. Moisturizers soften the skin and can reduce pain around scar tissue.

If at any point you notice your pain significantly increasing due to treatment, alert your doctor immediately. It's important to listen to your body.

See a Pain Management Doctor for Scar Pain

Are you experiencing scar pain? Schedule a consultation with a local pain management doctor. They'll help you find the treatment you need.

Scar tissue pain can cause swelling, itchiness, redness, and reduced mobility. There are a variety of therapies out there to reduce the pain including physical therapy, topical solutions, and steroid injections. It's important to never ignore the pain and seek medical assistance as soon as possible.

If you're seeking pain relief, check out the rest of our site. Contact us today to set up an appointment with one of our amazing physicians.