Incapacitating cases of back and leg pain may lead to stress and financial hardship. We are beginning to realize that low back pain can be the result of many different physical problems. This process can be complicated and is not always successful. It is becoming clear that chronic low back and leg pain is often the result of damage to discs.
Discs are complex rubber-like structures between the bones of the spine.
Both types of disc injury can result in tears of the outer wall of the disc. These tears may be painful. We do not yet understand why some people develop painful tears and others do not. It appears that damaged discs may become painful due to the irritation of small nerves in the damaged outer wall of the disc or due to irritation and pressure on nerves that grow into the disc with scar tissue. A solution to this pain would be to strengthen the torn, weakened disc wall and to deaden the painful nerves.