Description of a Herniated Disc

A herniated disc is a disc that extrudes into the spinal canal. It is also referred to as a bulging disc, ruptured disc or slipped disc. As a disc degenerates, it can herniate (the inner core extrudes) back into the spinal canal, as shown in this picture on the left. The light blue oval area is the disc and it is bulging into the spinal canal on the lower right side of the disc. In the lumbar area, this can cause pain to radiate all the way down the patient's leg to the foot. In the area of the cervical spine, the pain would radiate from the neck down the arm to the fingers.Approximately 90% of disc herniations will occur at L4- L5 (lumbar segments 4 and 5) or L5- S1 (lumbar segment 5 and sacral segment1), which causes pain in the L5 nerve or S1 nerve, respectively.Recommended treatment is generally open back surgery, with high risks, hospital stays and lengthy recuperation time.