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Disc herniation means that some of the nucleus material that is in the center of the disc has moved out of the disc through a tear or a crack in the outer annulus. Most often the defect in the annulus is at the back of the disc and the nucleus material squirts out into the spinal canal where it can compress or irritate a nerve root resulting in sciatica, which means leg pain. Sciatica is a very severe type of leg pain. People often say that it is worse than kidney stones or childbirth. Most people with disc herniations experience the sudden onset of severe leg pain. In most cases there is no specific injury or event that causes a disc herniation. It can occur in people of all shapes and sizes and affects people who have desk jobs as often as those with work involving physical labor. It is most common in people between the ages of 20 and 50. Some people experience a period of back pain prior to the onset of the leg pain, which is probably due to the tear in the outer part of the disc.

The distribution of the leg pain depends on which disc is herniated, which determines which nerve root is affected. The two most common levels where disc herniations occur are the two lowest discs in the spine, between the 4th and 5th lumbar vertebrae (L4-5) or between the 5th lumbar vertebra and the sacrum (L5S1). Both of these usually result in pain that runs from the buttock to the calf or the foot. Some people experience numbness in the leg or foot, and sometimes people experience weakness in their leg. Fortunately, eighty to ninety percent of people recover without any specific treatment. Most people recover within three months or less. Ten to twenty percent of people do not recover completely.