Early on in the cascade of spinal disease is the most famous of the spinal conditions; the dreaded "herniated disc". It tends to be the first severely painful condition that comes forth from a diseased spine. It also had the capability of cause irreversible nerve damage. It needs to be taken seriously. I will describe it in layman's terms. Before the disc herniates, there usually is some quiet wear and tear and degradation of cartilagenous material, both with the disc and