Question
I was wondering if throwing out a disc can be caused by the same things that cause other minor back injuries...(specifically, like when psychological factors and tenseness/individual biomechanical factors can influence whether or not someone gets a slight pinched nerve or a muscle spasm...do these things also factor into whether or not someone will herniate a disc?  Im certain the answer has to be yes, but I just wanted to check with you).

thanks!  

Answer
Jeff,

You can't throw out a disc; discs are attached to (actually part of and continuous with) neighboring vertebrae.  (They're not like poker chips.)

Tenseness does cause vertebrae to be pulled too closely together, compressing discs and leading to herniation or worse.

There are articles on the subject at somatics.com/page4.htm.

with regard,
Lawrence Gold