What is a herniated disc

[BP4MS]

Herniated discs are also called: Herniated intervertebral disc, herniated nucleus pulposus, prolapsed disk, ruptured disc, slipped disc.

Your spine is made up of 26 bones called vertebrae. In between them are soft discs filled with a jelly-like substance. These discs cushion the vertebrae and keep them in place. A herniated disc is a disc that ruptures. If it presses on a nerve, it can cause back pain or sciatica.

Symptoms include:
Back pain that spreads to the buttocks and legs, when the herniated disc is in your lower back
Neck pain that spreads to the shoulders and upper arms, when the herniated disc is in your upper back
Tingling or numbness
Muscle spasms or weakness

With treatment, most people recover. It can take a long time - measured in months. Treatments include rest, pain and anti-inflammatory medicines, physical therapy and sometimes surgery. Losing weight can help, too.

[Natural Life]

The annular fibers of the discs run diagonally and in opposite directions, making a very strong fiberous ring around the soft jelly-like coushin that is the nucleous. However, when one bends and twists, say, to the right, the annular fibers that are oriented in that direction can go a little slack, while the fibers oriented the opposte direction take more of the load. This can result in tearing of the annular fibers (especially during lifting), and the nucleous can partially herniate outside the annular ring of the disc, possibly pressing on a nerve. Often, decompression (a type of traction) can create a vacuum enough to suck the herniation back into the center-- or at least reduce the size of the herniation, easing pressure on the nerve root.