- Anatomy of The Spine
- Back Pain in Children
- Caring for your Spine
- Emerging Spinecare Trends
- Evaluation of Spinal Disorders
- Exercise and The Spine
- Intervention - Spinal Disorders
- Intervertebral Disc
- Non Surgical Options
- Nutrition and Spinecare
- Options for Spine Treatments
- Pregnancy and Back Pain
- Prevalence of Spine Disorders
- Sleep and the Spine
- Spinecare Introduction
- Spinehealth and Disease
- Surgical Interventions
- Treatment with Medications
- Understanding Back Pain
Spinecare Topics
Intervertebral Disc
The Intervertebral Disc
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The Intervertebral Disc
What is a torn disc?
The annular fibers of the intervertebral disc can become disrupted when one of three primary conditions present. The first condition is when normal annular fibers are exposed to abnormal physical stress and strain. The second condition is when there is degeneration and weakening of the annular fibers in the presence of normal physical strain and the third condition is when there is both abnormal degenerative change with a loss of strength and support in the presence of abnormal physical stress and strain. With any of these conditions exist, a certain amount of twisting, bending or other abnormal forces can cause “disc tears.�
Can a torn disc cause inflammation?
Disc tears can coalesce with neighboring tears, thus forming a larger tear. Back pain can occur secondary to a disc bulge, disc herniation or disc extrusion. Pro-inflammatory chemicals can leak from the interior of the intervertebral disc into the spinal canal and cause inflammation of pain sensitive structures in the spine. Back pain associated with a disc tear is usually made worse during certain positions and movements, particularly with rotation or twisting.
What is discogenic pain?
The term discogenic pain refers to pain that arises from the intervertebral disc. Research has demonstrated that the outer portion of the intervertebral disc has pain nerve endings. Spinal ligaments that lie adjacent to the disc are pain sensitive. Pain sensitive nerve endings within the outer portion of the disc may signal the presence of a tear in the presence of certain chemicals or inflammation.
What is discography (discogram)?
Discography is an advanced imaging procedure used to reveal the extent of degeneration and tears in the disc. This procedure may be considered to help determine whether a disc problem is contributing to signs or symptoms. Discography is performed with a C-arm fluoroscope, an x-ray device used in operative procedures to visualize internal body structures. There are two primary types of discography, the first is referred to provocative discography and the second is referred to as an anesthetic discogram. During a provocative discogram fluid is injected into the inside of the disc in order to place stress upon a tear. If the procedure reproduces the patient’s chief complaint, the pain is referred to as concordant and the test is considered positive. If the pain does not reproduce the patient’s primary complaint, the result is discordant and represents a negative test result.
An anesthetic discogram requires that a long-acting anesthetic pharmaceutical agent be injected into the interior of the disc. This helps block pain from nerve endings that might be irritated in the presence of a torn annulus and certain chemicals. If the intradiscal injection of an anesthetic agent completely relieves the patient's primary complaint, it is considered a positive test and confirms that there is discogenic pain.
The annular fibers of the intervertebral disc can become disrupted when one of three primary conditions present. The first condition is when normal annular fibers are exposed to abnormal physical stress and strain. The second condition is when there is degeneration and weakening of the annular fibers in the presence of normal physical strain and the third condition is when there is both abnormal degenerative change with a loss of strength and support in the presence of abnormal physical stress and strain. With any of these conditions exist, a certain amount of twisting, bending or other abnormal forces can cause “disc tears.�
Can a torn disc cause inflammation?
Disc tears can coalesce with neighboring tears, thus forming a larger tear. Back pain can occur secondary to a disc bulge, disc herniation or disc extrusion. Pro-inflammatory chemicals can leak from the interior of the intervertebral disc into the spinal canal and cause inflammation of pain sensitive structures in the spine. Back pain associated with a disc tear is usually made worse during certain positions and movements, particularly with rotation or twisting.
What is discogenic pain?
The term discogenic pain refers to pain that arises from the intervertebral disc. Research has demonstrated that the outer portion of the intervertebral disc has pain nerve endings. Spinal ligaments that lie adjacent to the disc are pain sensitive. Pain sensitive nerve endings within the outer portion of the disc may signal the presence of a tear in the presence of certain chemicals or inflammation.
What is discography (discogram)?
Discography is an advanced imaging procedure used to reveal the extent of degeneration and tears in the disc. This procedure may be considered to help determine whether a disc problem is contributing to signs or symptoms. Discography is performed with a C-arm fluoroscope, an x-ray device used in operative procedures to visualize internal body structures. There are two primary types of discography, the first is referred to provocative discography and the second is referred to as an anesthetic discogram. During a provocative discogram fluid is injected into the inside of the disc in order to place stress upon a tear. If the procedure reproduces the patient’s chief complaint, the pain is referred to as concordant and the test is considered positive. If the pain does not reproduce the patient’s primary complaint, the result is discordant and represents a negative test result.
An anesthetic discogram requires that a long-acting anesthetic pharmaceutical agent be injected into the interior of the disc. This helps block pain from nerve endings that might be irritated in the presence of a torn annulus and certain chemicals. If the intradiscal injection of an anesthetic agent completely relieves the patient's primary complaint, it is considered a positive test and confirms that there is discogenic pain.
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