Slipped Disc
Slipped disc describes a problem that commonly affects the lower back. Other terms include: ruptured disc, herniated disc and prolapsed disc. All of these terms refer to the same problem.BodyBridge
What is a slipped disc? The back (or spinal column) is made up of a series of 24 bones, called vertebrae. Each vertebra is stacked up on top of another, from the tailbone to the head. In between each of the bones, there is a pad which acts as a shock absorber. This pad is called the disc.The disc may be compared to a jelly donut. The outside of the disc is made of tough fibrous tissue. The inside of the disc is made from a jelly-like tissue. As we age, the jelly in the disc 'stiffens'. Gravity and repeated bending of the spinal column may cause the disc to bulge. The disc may put pressure on nearby nerves. Small bulges may produce shortlived or no symptoms. However, sudden stress on a disc may cause it to bulge and rupture even further. It may put more pressure on the nearby nerve. This is called a slipped disc.