Slipped Disc

Discs are protective pads between the bones of the spine. Although they do not actually "slip," a disc may split or rupture. This can cause the disc cartilage and nearby tissue to herniate, allowing the inner gel like portion of the disc to escape into the surrounding tissue. The leaking substance can place pressure on the spinal cord or on an adjacent nerve to cause symptoms of pain either around the damaged disc or anywhere along the area controlled by that nerve.

The layman's term "slipped disc" refers to a condition whereby portions of an abnormal, injured, or degenerated disc have protruded against adjacent nerve tissues. This condition is also called herniated disc. The most frequently affected area is in the low back, but any disc can rupture, including those in the neck.