Health encyclopaedia

Health encyclopaedia - Alphabetical Topic List

Slipped disc

Slipped disc is the common name for the medical term ‘prolapsed’ or ‘herniated’ disc.

Many people in the UK have back pain and although a slipped disc causes back pain, there are many other causes and a slipped disc is not a very common cause.

The discs are protective, circular pads of cartilage that lie between the bones of your spine (vertebrae) and cushion the vertebrae when you jump or run. They are made up of a tough, fibrous case, which contains a softer gel. The spinal cord is a collection of nerve fibres that come from the brain and are protected by the spine. Nerve fibres from the spinal cord come out from between the vertebrae and take and receive messages to different parts of the body.

A slipped disc occurs when the outer part of a disc ruptures and allows the gel inside to bulge outwards from between the vertebrae. The damaged disc can put pressure on your whole spinal cord or on a single nerve fibre. This means that a slipped disc can cause pain both around the area of the bulge or anywhere along the area controlled by an affected nerve.

A slipped disc occurs most frequently in your lower back, but any disc can rupture, including those in your upper back and neck.

• Symptoms
• Causes
• Diagnosis
• Prevention
• Treatment

• SARSScabiesScarlet feverScarsSchizophreniaSciaticaScoliosisScurvySeasonal affective disorderSecond opinionSelf-injurySeptic shockSexual health clinicsSexually transmitted infectionsShinglesShort-sightednessSick building syndromeSickle-cell anaemiaSinusitisSjogren's syndromeSlapped cheek syndromeSleep apnoeaSlipped discSmear testSmoking (quitting)SnoringSore throatSpina bifidaSpinal muscular atrophySports injuriesSprainsSquintStaphylococcal infectionsSterilisationStillbirthStings, insectStings, marine creaturesStreptococcal infectionsStressStretch marksStrokeSubarachnoid haemorrhageSubdural haematomaSudden infant death syndromeSuicideSunburnSupraventricular tachycardiaSyphilis

  ---