If neck or back pain has been ailing you recently, you might wonder what medical condition is at the root of the problem. This can cause a bit of confusion, as there are a significant number of neck and back conditions that can all produce the same end results, and the only way to determine which one or ones are to blame is to receive a diagnosis from your doctor.

The symptoms you are experiencing may be due something as simple as a muscle strain or ligament sprain, or the pain you feel could be caused by a herniated disc in the spine. A herniated disc essentially describes a disc in between vertebrae in the spine that has torn open. As the disc ruptures it can emit fluid from its inner portion, which is where symptoms of pain, as well as tingling, numbness, muscle spasms, muscle weakness, and general discomfort, come into play.

The Composition of the Spine and Intervertebral Discs

To fully understand the composition and function of an intervertebral disc and how a herniated disc is caused, it is essential to first understand the anatomy of the spine as a whole. The spine is the main support structure in the upper body of humans. It is a part of both the skeletal system and the nervous system. Small bones called vertebrae make up its skeletal composition, and the spinal cord, along with nerve roots, comprise its nervous system component. Between each of the individual, flexible vertebrae is a small disc whose function is to cushion the bones and prevent them from grinding against one another. The discs are made up of an outer wall and an inner core. The outer wall is called the annulus fibrosus, and the inner core is called the nucleus pulposus. The nucleus consists of a jelly-like fluid that gives the disc its flexibility. The annulus fibrosus is strong and elastic, helping the disc to maintain its proper height and withstand the pressures it undergoes on a daily basis.

The Degeneration of Intervertebral Discs

It is no secret that human bodies degenerate and deteriorate with age, and the spine is no exception to this rule. With age, the discs that were once flexible and soft become dehydrated and rigid. Over years of absorbing the force of the weight of the upper body, the dehydrated discs begin to flatten out. The dehydration and flattening of the discs leaves them vulnerable to bulging out of their normal space or tearing. Oftentimes, a herniated disc occurs when a weakened disc has incurred too much pressure from the upper body, and simply cannot handle it any longer.

The Impact of a Herniated Disc on the Body

When herniated discs first rupture, it is common to find that the fluid from the nucleus pulposus has seeped out of the tear in the annulus fibrosus and into other parts of the spinal anatomy. The disc nucleus contains inflammatory compounds that can irritate the nerve fibers in the disc wall, causing pain within the disc itself.

The disc walls can form scar tissue and once again fully surround the nucleus pulposus, but in many instances, the healing does not occur before the inner fluid has seeped out. The fluid emitted is now free from the confines of the disc wall and may travel throughout the spine. As a result, the herniated disc material can irritate and constrict a nerve root or even the spinal cord itself, and when this occurs, this sensitive nerve tissue can send messages that it is being irritated and that something is wrong. Those messages are felt as either localized pain at the site of the nerve compression or pain, numbness, tingling, muscle weakness, and muscle spasms along any of the nerve root’s respective nerve endings throughout the body. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms and cannot figure out why, see your doctor for a diagnosis. There’s a good chance that a herniated disc may be what is troubling you.

Patrick Foote is the Director of eBusiness at Laser Spine Institute, the leader in endoscopic spine surgery. Laser Spine Institute specializes in safe and effective outpatient procedures for the treatment of herniated discs and several other spinal conditions.

Patrick Foote is the Director of eBusiness at Laser Spine Institute, the leader in endoscopic spine surgery. Laser Spine Institute specializes in safe and effective outpatient procedures for herniated discs and several other spinal conditions. http://www.laserspineinstitute.com/herniated_disc/

Author Bio: Patrick Foote is the Director of eBusiness at Laser Spine Institute, the leader in endoscopic spine surgery. Laser Spine Institute specializes in safe and effective outpatient procedures for the treatment of herniated discs and several other spinal conditions.

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Keywords: Herniated disc