Herniated Disk

Summary

Your backbone, or spine, is made up of 26 bones called vertebrae. In between them are soft disks filled with a jelly-like substance. These disks cushion the vertebrae and keep them in place. As you age, the disks break down or degenerate. As they do, they lose their cushioning ability. This can lead to pain if the back is stressed.

A herniated disk is a disk that ruptures. This allows the jelly-like center of the disk to leak, irritating the nearby nerves. This can cause sciatica or back pain.

Your doctor will diagnose a herniated disk with a physical exam and, sometimes, imaging tests. With treatment, most people recover. Treatments include rest, pain and anti-inflammatory medicines, physical therapy, and sometimes surgery.

NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

Treatments and Therapies

• Artificial Disc Replacement (ADR) North American Spine Society
• Epidural Injections Radiological Society of North America
• Laparoscopic Spine Surgery Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons
• Lumbar (Open) Microscopic Discectomy North American Spine Society
• Spinal Fusion North American Spine Society

Related Issues

• Cauda Equina Syndrome American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
• Cervical Radiculopathy (Pinched Nerve) American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Intervertebral Disc Displacement National Institutes of Health

Diagnosis and Tests

• Computed Tomography (CT) Scan of the Spine Radiological Society of North America
• Discography (Discogram) Radiological Society of North America
• Myelography National Library of Medicine
• Radiographic Assessment for Back Pain North American Spine Society
• Spine MRI Radiological Society of North America

Reference Desk

• Definitions A-Z North American Spine Society

Encyclopedia

• Disk replacement – lumbar spine Medical Encyclopedia
• Herniated nucleus pulposus (slipped disk) Medical Encyclopedia
• Lumbar MRI scan Medical Encyclopedia
• Lumbar Spine CT scan Medical Encyclopedia
• Lumbosacral spine CT Medical Encyclopedia
• Lumbosacral spine x-ray Medical Encyclopedia
• Microdiskectomy Medical Encyclopedia
• Microdiskectomy – series — Normal anatomy Medical Encyclopedia
• Spinal bone graft – series — Normal anatomy Medical Encyclopedia

Specifics

• Herniated Cervical Disc North American Spine Society
• Herniated Disk in the Lower Back American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
• Herniated Lumbar Disc North American Spine Society

Start Here

• Herniated Disk American Academy of Family Physicians

Patient Handouts

• Herniated disk Medical Encyclopedia
• Spinal fusion Medical Encyclopedia
• Spine surgery – discharge Medical Encyclopedia

Genetics

• Intervertebral disc disease: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine

Images

• Lumbar spinal surgery – series — Normal anatomy Medical Encyclopedia
• Spinal fusion – series — Normal anatomy Medical Encyclopedia
• Spinal surgery – cervical – series — Normal anatomy Medical Encyclopedia

Find an Expert

• National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

Journal Articles

• Herniated Disk