Spinal disc herniation is often mistakenly called a slipped disc, it is a medical condition in which the fibrous ring, the outer layer of the disc tears and allows the soft central portion (nucleus pulposus) to bulge out. This tear in the disc ring can result in inflammatory chemical mediators being released causing severe pain even when nerve roots are not involved.
The image to the left of a c spine taken during an autopsy shows the nucleus pulposus extruding through the ruptured annulus, and compressing the spinal cord at C5-C6.
Disc herniations can occur simply from normal wear and tear during our lives especially with jobs that require a lot of lifting. Trauma injuries from falling, blunt force, or motor vehicle accidents. Simply from sitting or bending to lift, the internal pressure of the disc can go from 17 psi to 300 psi while lifting. The disc can be under a tremendous amount of pressure without getting into a strain. While these discs are quite tough, they have there limits and when reached can cause us great pain, so proper lifting techniques are important.
Disc herniation usually occurs from the front side being compressed while bending forward or just bad posture, which will cause the back side of the disc to bulge and eventually tear.
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