Dr. Tony Mork, MD, endoscopic spine surgeon and founder of the Endoscopic Spine Academy unpacks the science behind annular tears. He explains why most tears don’t hurt, why MRI scans aren’t enough to diagnose chronic low back pain and how discograms can still play a role. Dr. Mork argues that fragments of dead disc tissue often cause pain when they migrate to the annulus and outlines how he uses endoscopic techniques to remove them. He also discusses why high‑energy lasers may create more deb...