The disks between the vertebrae in the spine can degenerate with age or injury. By age 50, most people have some disk degeneration (see box), and the degeneration may or may not cause symptoms. Most commonly, disk degeneration occurs in the low back or neck, but it can occur anywhere in the spine. The disk might bulge, collapse or dry out, causing pain that sometimes runs down the legs and can be intense. A herniated disk might look “like a jelly donut squirting out jelly” says Kush Goyal, MD, staff physician at the Center for Spine Health and a specialist in physical medicine and spine health. When there are symptoms, treatment can improve pain and function.
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