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A herniated disk occurs when the soft, gelatinous center of an intervertebral disk (nucleus pulposus) is forced through a weakened part of the disk. This results in back pain and nerve-root irritation.
Review Date 8/27/2024
Updated by: C. Benjamin Ma, MD, Professor, Chief, Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service, UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, San Francisco, CA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
