Ouch! Your Aching Back

What Is a Herniated Disc?

By Robert V. Duvall

You've probably heard people say they have a "slipped" or "ruptured" disc in the back. Sometimes they complain that their back "went out." What they're most likely describing is a herniated disc. This condition is a common source of back and leg pain.

Discs are soft cushions found between the vertebrae that make up the spinal column (your backbone). In the middle of the spinal column is the spinal canal, a hollow space that contains the spinal cord. The nerves that supply the arms, leg and torso come from the spinal cord. The nerves from the neck supply the arms and hands, and the nerves from the low back supply the butt and legs.

The discs between the vertebrae allow the back to move freely and act like shock absorbers. The disc is made up of two main sections. The outer part (the annulus) is made up of tough cartilage that is comprised of a series of rings. The center of the disc is a jelly-like substance called the nucleus pulposus. A disc herniates or ruptures when part of the jelly center pushes through the outer wall of the disc into the spinal canal and puts pressure on the nerves. A disc bulge is when the jelly substance pushes the outer wall but doesn't completely go through the wall.

Low back pain will affect four out of five people during their lifetime. The most common symptom of a herniated disc is "sciatica." Sciatica is best described as a sharp, often shooting pain that begins in the buttocks and goes down the back of one leg. This is most often caused by pressure on the sciatic nerve that exits the spinal cord. Other symptoms include the following:

• Weakness in one leg or both legs.
• Numbness and tingling in one leg (pins and needles).
• A burning pain centered in the low back.


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