What are spinal disc problems?
Only a person who has experienced a damaged spinal disc can understand the agony and helplessness it brings. The pain can be excruciating. Every movement seems to make it worse. This pain is a warning signal. If you heed the warning and take proper action, the discomfort usually stops, and the problem can be corrected. If you ignore the warning, you could suffer permanent damage. Spinal discs are supple pads tightly fixed between the vertebrae – the specialised bones that make up the spinal column. Doctors call them intervertebral discs. Each disc is a flat circular capsule about 2.5cm (1in) in diameter and 5mm (1/4in) thick. They have a tough, fibrous outer membrane called the annulus fibrosus. Inside is an elastic core called the nucleus pulposus. The discs are firmly embedded between the vertebrae and are held in place by the ligaments connecting the spinal bones and the surrounding sheaths of muscle. There is very little, if any, room for discs to slip or move. The points on which
