It's been known for years that the disc itself can become painful.   Patient's who have this problem usually notice a pop or snap at the time of their injury.  After that, they can have fairly severe nagging pain that gets worse with staying too long in the same position.  The pain is usually across the back if a lumbar disc is injured.  In the neck, the discs can cause neck pain and sometimes nagging pain into the head, shoulder, or arm.  The good news is that there are ways to determine if this is your problem.  A discogram is an invasive test that involves an injection, but it can help confirm the diagnosis.  MRI isn't a great test to see if the disc is painful, but it's getting better all the time (Newest MRI Study, MRI Study 1, MRI Study 2, MRI Study 3).  Time usually will heal more than 80% of discs that have been confirmed painful on MRI.  Surgery is an option, but a little controversial.  Some patients do very well, while others do very poorly.  Physical therapy can really help manage the pain.  Traction can also help manage this syndrome at home.  A new procedure known as IDETC may provide relief.  

Tell me more...It's uncommon to see a painful disc and a painful facet joint, research shows that it's usually one or the other...