Spinal discs are comprised of a tough fibrous outer layer (annulus fibrosis) and a water and protein mixture (nucleus pulposus). When the fibrous outer layer undergoes a significant trauma or deteriorates due to overuse, small tears can occur causing the fluid to leak out of the disc. This is referred to as an annular tear or a disc tear. These tears can occur in both the cervical and lumbar spine.

Typically, there are three distinct types of annular tears:

• Radial Tear – Caused by the aging process and may lead to herniation of the disc.
• Concentric Tear – Often caused by sudden trauma or injury to the spine.
• Peripheral Tear – Often caused by injury and may cause the disc to break down over time.

Cervical Disc Tear symptoms would include:

• Neck pain
• Weakness in the upper arm or shoulder area
• Numbness and/tingling sensation in fingers/wrist
• Having trouble gripping with hand
• Difficulty rotating neck
• The type of pain varies from dull to sharp

Lumbar Disc Tear symptoms would include:

• Lower back pain
• Sciatica (pain that radiates through the leg)
• Numbness or pain in the foot
• Numbness or pain in ankle
• Unable to stretch or extend toes
• Unable to push off with foot