FAQs

What is a herniated disc?

Dr. Jeffrey C. Wang
Los Angeles, CA
A herniated disc is a process where the disk, which serves as a cushion between two of the vertebral bones, can break down or rupture and protrude backwards pressing on the nerve roots or the spinal cord which in turn can cause pain.
Dr. Randy Davis
Glen Burnie, MD
Each of the discs in the neck serves as a shock absorber and as we all get older, all discs start to deteriorate as early as age 18. When small tears in the discs join together, a piece of the disc can herniate out and can either cause neck pain or pain radiating down into the arm. 80% of acute herniated discs will get better without surgery but 20% cause persistent problems and can frequently be treated successfully by surgery.
Dr. Theodore A. Belanger
Charlotte, NC
The discs are cushions between the bones at every segment of the spine. A herniated disc is one that has developed a hole in it and has squirted out some of its soft inner material. If this material is compressing or causing inflammation of a nerve or the spinal cord, it can cause pain, numbness, tingling and/or weakness in the arms or legs.
Dr. Douglas Slaughter
Mesa, AZ
A herniated disc in the neck occurs when the inner nucleus pulposa is forced to the outer annular fibers of the disc or into the spinal canal or neural root foramina.
Dr. Brian Subach
Atlanta, GA
A disc is the shock absorber between adjacent vertebrae. When it deteriorates it may "bulge," "slip," "rupture," or "herniate" and press on the spinal cord or nerve roots. Herniation means that a piece of disc is somewhere it does not belong.
Dr. Brett Taylor
St. Louis, MO
A disc herniation occurs when the central or nuclear portion of the disc breaks through the covering of the disc called the annulus. This material can press upon the nerves in the neck causing neck and/or arm pain.
Dr. Robert S. Pashman
Los Angeles, CA
Discs are the fibrous cartilage pads that lie between the spinal vertebrae. Each is made up of two parts: a jelly-like center (the nucleus pulposus) that loses moisture with age, and a tough outer ring (the annulus fibrosus) that can split with age or injury.

A herniated disc occurs when the disc's jelly-like center (the nucleus pulposus) ruptures the tough, fibrous outer ring (the annulus fibrosus) and oozes through small openings in the vertebrae where nerves enter the spinal column.
Dr. Kambiz Hannani
Los Angeles, CA
A herniated disc is a rupture of a spinal disc that intrudes into the spinal canal. Disc injuries have two ways of causing neck and arm pain. When a disc ruptures, some disc material can push on the nerves inside the spinal canal; this usually causes some arm pain and neck and shoulder pain on one side. The disc can also lose its cushioning ability, which is common in degenerative disc disease. In this case, the disc starts causing neck pain, which shoots into both shoulders.
Dr. Sean Salehi
Chicago, IL
When the softer center portion of the disc herniates through a tear in the outer layer of the disc, this is called a disc herniation.
Dr. Moe R. Lim
Chapel Hill, NC
Discs are shock-absorbers between the vertebrae. As we get older and/or as a result of injury, the discs can rupture and the contents of the disc can compress the spinal cord and/or nerve roots.
Dr. Timothy C. Ryken
Iowa City, IA
In my thinking, a true herniated disc indicates that the disc has been injured and the ligament next to the disc has been torn, allowing a portion of the disc to project through the ligament. Although radiologists often describe a "herniated disc" on x-rays, such as MRI, I feel one can only determine this at the time of surgery.
Dr. W. Christopher Urban
Glen Burnie, MD
A herniated disc is an intervertebral disc that has an incompetent outer layer, or annulus. Because of this weak surrounding architecture, it is possible for the inner disc material to squeeze out of the disc. Depending on the size and location of the herniated fragment, a patient may or may not become symptomatic. If the herniated disc material were to press against a nerve root, for example, it could cause leg pain or numbness.
Dr. Joseph Alexander
Winston-Salem, NC
The disc, whether in the neck, chest, or low back, is composed of an inner material which cushions the spine and an outer ring of fibers which contain this material. The outer ring of fibers is referred to as the anulus and the inner material is referred to as the nucleus pulposus. When the fibers of the anulus, which normally contain the disc, break down or tear, the disc material can extrude or herniate.
Dr. Sebastian Lattuga
Rockville Centre, NY
The intervertebral disc is a gelatinous-like filled structure that acts as cushion to separate the vertebrae of the spine. The intervertebral disc has a tough outer cover called the annulus. Sometimes the integrity of the annulus is disrupted allowing for the change in the shape or contour of the disc. The disc material can protrude away from the normal contour of the disc and cause pain.
Dr. John Peloza
Dallas, TX
A weakening of the disc wall, which we call the annulus, causes a herniated disc. The defect in the disc wall allows the central portion of the disc, called the nucleus, to be displaced from the central portion of the disc out into the spinal canal. The shape or morphology of the disc herniation can vary. It can be just a slight focal defect in the disc wall, or the herniation may go through the entire disc wall. A smaller disc herniation can cause neck pain or arm pain, while a larger herniation with more compression and inflammation on the nerve root tends to cause nerve root type pain. It is possible for a herniation to be so large that it can also compress the spinal cord as well as the nerve root, causing radicular symptoms as well as spinal cord symptoms.
Dr. Mark R. McLaughlin
Princeton, NJ
A herniated disc is an abnormal migration of the soft central portion of a disc outside of the disc's outer envelope that causes pressure on individual nerves or the spinal cord.
Dr. Kevin Yoo
Escondido, CA
The disc is the soft non-bony structure that sits between each vertebrae of the spine and serves as the joint between two adjacent vertebrae, allowing movements in the neck. It also acts as a shock absorber and bears the weight of our heavy heads. Discs herniate when there is a weak point on the outer covering of the disc that opens up and allow some disc material to protrude out of the inner disc. This protrusion can lead to pinching of a nerve or the spinal cord.
Dr. Dennis G. Crandall
Mesa, AZ
A disk has layers similar to an onion. The layers can fray with age or tear from injury, and a piece of the inner disk (nucleus) can push through the tear and into the spinal canal. Pain occurs in the neck, shoulder, and arm from the nerves that are compressed as well as from the inflammation as the body tries to heal the injury.
Dr. Daniel Resnick
Madison, WI
A herniated disc is a potential consequence of degenerative disease of the neck. Our ligament which surrounds the disc, the annulus fibrosis, over time develops small cracks and fissures. The softer cartilaginous shock-absorbing portion of the disc, the nucleus pulposus is normally contained by the annulus fibrosis. If a fissure in the annulus becomes full thickness then a piece of the cartilaginous nucleus pulposus can herniate out through this tear in the ligament and can impinge upon a nerve root. Pain resulting from a herniated disc is affected by the nerve root, which is being compressed. The nerve root compression causes radicular symptoms such as pain, weakness, or numbness involving the arm, as well as the damage to the ligament itself which causes more localized neck pain or pain along the side of the neck.
Dr. Allan Levi
Miami, FL
A herniated disc is a localized displacement of disc material beyond the normal margins of the intervertebral disk space.
Dr. Mark Testaiuti
Haddonfield, NJ
A displacement of the cushioning substance between the neck bones into the spinal canal or nerve passageway (foramen). Not all herniated discs cause neck pain (or are the cause of a person's neck pain).
Dr. B. Theo Mellion
Carbondale, IL
A herniated disc is the extrusion of some of the cushioning material between the vertebrae that can either press on the spinal cord or the nerves causing radiating pain and/or numbness through the arm or hand, weakness, neck pain and stiffness, muscle spasms, and sometimes headaches.
Dr. Paul Saiz
Mesa, AZ
Using the analogy of a jelly doughnut the herniated disc is the jelly within the center of a doughnut. As the doughnut wears out there typically will be tears that develop and sometimes jelly will squirt out of that tear into the spinal canal causing a herniated disc.
Dr. David S. Baskin
Houston, TX
In the front part of the neck there are bones called the vertebrae. These bones are elliptical in shape, and have cushions in between each other called the disc. The disc has a tough outer ring and a soft spongy inside portion. When a disc herniates, the outer fibers tear, and a piece of the inside part of the disc comes out through the outer ring, and often puts pressure on nerves, producing pain.
Dr. Jeffrey Goldstein
New York, NY
A herniated disc is the extrusion of some of the cushioning material between the vertebrae. This disc material can either press on the spinal cord or the nerves causing pain radiating through the arm or hand or pain and muscle spasms in the muscles supporting the neck. A patient may also experience weakness in the arms or hands or difficulty using their hands.
Dr. Rick Sasso
Indianapolis, IN
A herniated disc is a piece of the inside of the disc sort of think of it as a jellyroll with the inside jelly as the disc. When a disc degenerates becomes dehydrated it can fragment. And, if a tear occurs in the outer covering of the disc, sort of the roll part of that jellyroll, a piece of that degenerated inside can work its way out through a tear in the outer covering of the disc and sit up against a nerve. And that is a herniated disc and what it causes is nerve pain.

The commentary above recounts the experiences of these physicians. Medtronic invited them to share their stories candidly. Keep in mind that results vary; not every patient's response is the same. Talk with your doctor to learn more about any products that are mentioned above.

It is important that you discuss the potential risks, complications and benefits of spinal surgery with your doctor prior to receiving treatment, and that you rely on your doctor's judgment. Only your doctor can determine whether you are a suitable candidate for this treatment.

Published: May 04, 2007
Updated: April 19, 2010