What is the difference in a herniated disk & a ruptured disk?
sdeadder Dear Student, There actually is not a difference between a herniated disc and a ruptured disc. The two names are interchangeable for the same condition. It may also be called a “slipped disc.” Our discs serve as shock absorbers for our spine and are located between the vertebrae from our low back (the lumbar spine) and our neck (the cervical spine). A herniated/ruptured disc occurs when the gelatinous substance inside the disc comes through a tear in the outer layer of the disc (the annulus). A tear in the annulus can come about for a variety of reason such as a trauma to the disc (a car accident for example), wear or tear on the disc that is a natural aging process, or from disease such as degenerative disc disease. Typically, when a disc herniates, the person will have pain in his/her legs which is the result of the injured disc putting pressure on the surrounding nerves. Often times, the sciatic nerve (a major nerve that runs down the thigh) is compressed, which causes seve
