Most people might think of the spine as a boney, cohesive structure. The spine, however, is actually a joint held together by the spinal disc tissues and ligaments. We can think of a spinal disc as a jelly donut, wherein it consists of a solid outer shell and a soft, semi-liquid center. Within the center of a spinal disc is a jelly-like material known as the nucleus pulposus and it is contained by a tough wrapping of ligaments called the annulus fibrosus. These tissues together work as a shock absorber for the spine, keeping the bony vertebrae from rubbing or fusing together. In this video, we discuss what happens when the annulus fibrosus tears, otherwise known as an annular tear, and what treatments can help heal the injury.