What is a slipped disc?

A slipped, herniated or prolapsed disc is a where the inner portion of the disc protrudes out of the harder shell. The inner portion is gelatinous while the casing is tough. These two parts of the disc work together to provide cushioning for the spinal bones. The spinal bones (vertebrae) are stacked up on top of each other and have discs in between. These bones are split into three sections, the cervical, thoracic and lumbar sections. Although a slipped disc can affect any one of these sections, they are most common in the lumbar section.

A disc can be herniated due to the pressure put on it by abnormal movement. If for example, your work makes you bend and abnormally twist your back, this may put pressure on your discs and eventually, this may cause them to become damaged. Of course, there are plenty of causes of slipped discs, which we will get into in just a little bit. First though, let’s look at the symptoms of a slipped disc.

The causes of a slipped disc

As we said above, a slipped disc occurs when the inner portion of the disc protrudes outwards or bulge. This can occur due to wear and tear on the disc which can just be a part of the normal ageing process. However, certain movements can also cause a slipped disc. For example, a disc can “slip out” when you are lifting something heavy. Lifting a large, heavy object places a lot of strain on your lower back, this strain can result in a slipped disc.

Note: It is important to recognise that the disc does not literally slip out of place, a more accurate description would be a bulging motion (think squashing a water balloon).

Overweight people are also at risk for slipped discs because their discs have to support additional weight. Also, if you have weak muscles, this may mean that the discs in your spine need to take up the slack and thus they have more pressure on them, and this may cause them to “slip out of place”.

As we age, we’re more likely to experience a slipped disc. This is part of the normal ageing process. As we age, the discs in our spines lose some of their water content and, as a result, can slip out of place easier. This can also happen if you have osteoarthritis in your spine. Once again, the wear and tear from arthritis can make a disc less healthy and cause it to become injured.

Typically more acute and severely painful slipped discs occur between 30 and 45 years. In older years, 50 plus, the slipped disc is slightly different in character of pain, typically being less intense, although often more persistent.

These causes of a slipped disc are a direct result of lifestyle and age and can be very tricky to avoid or prevent if you don’t know what you’re doing. It can also be challenging to pinpoint the exact cause of a slipped disc. But thankfully, we do not need to know the exact cause of a slipped disc to treat it.

Treating a slipped disc

We use the latest technologies available to treat slipped discs at The Mayfair Clinic. As we tailor our treatments to suit individual patients, we can’t say exactly which treatments you will receive, but your treatment plan may consist of the following which work in different ways to help alleviate pain caused by the slipped disc, whilst treating the root cause at the same time.

To find out more about these spinal treatments for your slipped disc, please get in touch. If you have a slipped disc and would like our help relieving the pain and tingling, use the contact forms on this page to set up your first consultation and treatment at The Mayfair Clinic. You’ll be glad you did!