Ruptured Disc(Herniated Disk)

The bones that form the spine in your back are cushioned by small discs. These discs are round and flat, with a tough, outer shell, like a capsule, that surrounds a jelly-like material called the nucleus pulposus.

When these discs are healthy, they act like shock absorbers for the spine and keep the spine flexible. When these discs are damaged from disease, an injury or normal wear and tear, they may bulge or rupture(herniate). When a disc bulges or ruptures, it is called a ruptured disc. It is also called a slipped or herniated disc.

Although injury to the outer covering of a disc can cause pain because there are nerve endings everywhere, sometimes a herniated disc by itself does not cause any pain. Pain usually occurs when there is pressure from the herniated disc on the nerve roots or spinal cord. Pain or numbness may occur in the area of the body to which the nerve goes(radiculopathy). For example, a herniated disc that presses on one of the nerve roots of the sciatic nerve (a large nerve that extends from the lower back down the back of the leg) may cause pain and numbness in the leg (a condition called sciatica>). Sciatica is the most common symptom of a herniated disc in the lower back.