- A ruptured disc is also referred to as a herniated disc. With a ruptured disc, the elastic outer core ruptures and the inner materials squeezes out, putting pressure on the surrounding nerves.
- A ruptured disc can be caused by a traumatic accident to the spine or by years of normal wear and tear on the discs.
- A ruptured disc can create tremendous pain both by the disc material pushing up against the nerves in and around the spinal column, and the bone on bone contact that can occur in the vertebrae if enough of disc is damaged.
- According to the Department of Neurosurgery at University of Pittsburgh, a ruptured disc can be treated with pain medication, physical therapy or surgery. The most commonly used surgery is referred to as a microdiscectomy, in which a small incision is made over the affected area and the part of the disc material that is pushing out onto the nerve is removed.
- While pain in the back can be considered a symptom of a ruptured disc, ruptureddiscinfo.com points out that the pain may also radiate down the arms or legs depending on which nerves are affected.
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