Ligaments are the structural “rubber bands” that hold the bones, joints and intervertebral discs together. Ligaments can become weak or injured from injury excessive use, or surgery, and often do not heal back to their original strength and tightness. When this happens, this puts a severe strain on the areas that the ligaments are supposed to be holding together, resulting in pain and arthritis in the bones, discs, and joints which are affected. Also, ligaments themselves have many nerve endings which can provide additional source of pain.