also has nerve roots and rootlets which form branch-like appendages. Along the dorsal root are the cells of the dorsal root ganglia, which are critical in the transmission of "pain" messages from the cord to the brain. Here is where injury, damage, and trauma become pain.

The loss of structural integrity from the misaligned spine results in distress in the nervous system and may be affecting the brain, the brain stem, the spinal cord and/or the peripheral nerves.

Between the vertebrae are round, spongy pads of cartilage called discs that act like shock absorbers. In many cases, degeneration or pressure from overexertion can cause a disc to shift or protrude and bulge, causing pressure on a nerve and resultant pain. When this happens, the condition is called a slipped, bulging, herniated, or ruptured disc, and it sometimes results in permanent nerve damage.