Most joints in the body have been affected by a variety of disease processes and have been treated by fusion in the early days of surgery and more recently by replacing the joint with an artificial one. Whilst the spinal discs are not joints in the technical sense, they do allow a degree of movement which, when all discs are taken together, confers a considerable degree of flexibility on the spine as a whole.

When a disc is damaged it may lead to pain or abnormal movement, both of which may need correction. If the discs degenerate, through the ageing processes, trauma or repeated stress, to the extent that they become increasingly painful, the person may become symptomatic. This is typically a central back pain, which may spread to the legs, or even into the abdomen.
Standard treatments for this type of pain include rest, during an acute exacerbation, with antiinflammatory medication, followed by physiotherapy. Blocks, such as epidurals may help. In most instances the pain will resolve adequately, but when these symptoms do not resolve after conservative treatment, the patient may feel that they are bad enough to warrant surgery.