What is a slipped disc?
Discs are cushions that act as shock absorbers between bones. A jelly-like substance sits inside the disc (nucleus pulposus) surrounded by collagen fibres (annulus). A slipped disc occurs when the jelly-like substance (nucleus pulposus) “slips” out of its usual place in the disc. This is why slipped discs are also called herniated nucleus pulposus (HNP).
Slipped discs can occur in the neck (cervical spine) or in the low back (lumbar or lumbosacral spine). Rarely, slipped discs can occur in the mid-back (thoracic spine). Slipped discs can also be of different sizes. Symptoms caused by small slipped discs usually resolve after a few weeks. Larger slipped discs can cause various issues depending on whether there is compression of the nerves or spinal cord.
Slipped discs should be differentiated from isolated annular tears, bulging discs or degeneration of discs.
Symptoms of a slipped disc:
- Neck, mid back or low back pain
- Pain, tingling, burning or numbness of the arms
- Pain, tingling, burning or numbness of the legs
- Tingling or numbness of the hands or feet
- Weakness of the arms/legs/hands or feet
- Unsteady walking
- “Clumsiness” of the hands (eg. unable to use chopsticks)
- Numbness of the anus region (may be an emergency)
- Inability to pass or control urine (may be an emergency)
Types of treatment:
- Physiotherapy
- Brace
- Anti-inflammatory medication
- Injections
- Keyhole, minimally-invasive decompression surgery / Microdiscectomy
- Keyhole, minimally-invasive decompression surgery and fusion
- Artificial disc replacement
- Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF)
