Image courtesy of Intermountain Medical Imaging, Boise, Idaho. All rights reserved.
A side view of the lumbar spine shows normal discs, spinal canal, and nerve roots (see figure 1). Nerve roots normally float in the fluid-filled canal. Figure 2 shows a small herniated disc pushing into the canal toward nerve roots.
Current as of: May 1, 2026
Author: WebMD Ignite Staff
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