Disc herniation
injury to the intervertebral disc between two vertebrae, usually caused by excessive strain or trauma to the spine
A disc herniation, also known as a spinal disc herniation, is a condition affecting the intervertebral disc between two vertebrae, usually caused by excessive strain or trauma to the spine. It may result in back pain, pain or abnormal sensation in different parts of the body, and physical disability. The most conclusive diagnostic tool for disc herniation is MRI, and treatments may range from painkillers to surgery. The risk of disc herniation may be reduced by maintaining core strength and an awareness of body mechanics including good posture.
When a tear in the outer fibrous ring of an intervertebral disc allows the soft, central portion to bulge out beyond the damaged outer ring, the disc is said to be herniated.
Disc herniation is frequently associated with age-related degeneration of the outer ring, known as the annulus fibrosus, but is normally triggered by trauma or straining from lifting or twisting. Tears are almost always posterolateral (on the back sides) owing to relative narrowness of the posterior longitudinal ligament relative to the anterior longitudinal ligament. A tear in the disc ring may result in the release of chemicals causing inflammation, which can result in severe pain even in the absence of nerve root compression.
Disc herniation may develop from a pre-existing disc protrusion, in which the outermost layers of the annulus fibrosus are still intact, but can bulge when the disc is under pressure. In contrast to a herniation, none of the central portion escapes beyond the outer layers.
“Disc herniation” enters the record as injury to the intervertebral disc between two vertebrae, usually caused by excessive strain or trauma to the spine. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Disc, herniation and injury can confirm, complicate or overturn.
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Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 22, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q697117. The Library of Congress control number is sh85067546. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
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This entry incorporates text from “Disc herniation” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.