A herniated disc in the neck may cause symptoms in the shoulders, arms or chest. A herniated disc in the lower back may cause sciatica, with leg pain and other nerve-related symptoms. A herniated disc in the lower back may be felt in the buttock and down the back of the leg to the ankle or foot. There may be low back pain, but usually not as severe as leg pain. Other symptoms of a herniated disc may include severe deep muscle pain and muscle spasms. Low back pain that does not involve numbness, tingling and/or weakness, or pain in a leg is not usually due to disc herniation pressing on the nerve root.