Do You Have a Slipped Disc?
“Slipped disc” is a common name for a disc herniation. It does not mean that a loose piece of the spine simply needs to be pushed back into place. This guide explains what the term means, which symptoms need urgent attention and how treatment choices are made.
What happens to a disc?
Discs are cushions between the spinal bones, with a firmer outer ring and softer center. In a herniation, inner material pushes through the outer ring. Nearby nerves can become compressed or irritated. In the lower back, this can cause pain traveling into a leg, tingling, numbness or weakness. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: herniated lumbar disc.
Some disc changes cause no symptoms, and back pain can have other causes. A symptom list or an image label alone therefore cannot diagnose the source of your pain. A clinician uses the history and examination to decide what further assessment is needed. NHS: slipped disc.
Symptoms that need emergency assessment
Go to an emergency department now for back or leg symptoms with new numbness around the genitals, buttocks or inner thighs, new difficulty passing urine or inability to urinate, or new loss of bladder or bowel control. New loss of sexual feeling or function, or severe or worsening weakness or numbness in both legs, also needs emergency assessment. These can signal serious compression of the lower spinal nerves, called cauda equina syndrome. Do not wait for a chiropractic appointment. NHS: cauda equina symptoms.
New or worsening weakness also needs prompt medical assessment. Back pain after a serious accident needs emergency care. Fever, unexplained weight loss or pain that is worse at night are reasons to seek medical evaluation rather than assuming an ordinary disc flare. NHS: slipped-disc safety advice.
What an assessment can clarify
Bring a short history of where the pain travels, any changes in strength or sensation, what makes activities difficult and any previous treatment or scans. A neurological examination can check strength, sensation and reflexes. MRI can help clarify disc and nerve findings when clinically indicated; it is not a treatment itself. AAOS: examination and imaging.
Recovery and treatment choices
Many people with a lumbar disc herniation improve without surgery. Physical therapy and appropriately selected medicines can help manage symptoms during recovery. Surgery can remove disc material pressing on a nerve when it is indicated, including some cases with persistent symptoms or neurological problems; it also carries risks such as infection and nerve injury. A clinician should explain the balance for your situation. AAOS: nonsurgical and surgical treatment.
For low-back pain with or without sciatica, NICE considers manual therapy only within a plan that includes exercise. This is not evidence that manipulation repairs a disc. Spinal manipulation can cause temporary soreness; serious spinal or neurological complications have also been reported. The assessment and informed discussion come before deciding whether a technique is appropriate. NICE low-back pain guidance; NCCIH: manipulation safety.
For a fuller comparison, read our disc-injury guide and herniated-disc care guide. For nonurgent questions, contact Source Chiropractic or return to our practice homepage. Findings outside chiropractic care require the appropriate medical referral.
Explore the lower back for connected condition guides and published research.
Follow the evidence
Research, with context.
Published sources behind the discussion. Read the findings alongside the limits; a study is not a diagnosis or a promise of a result.
Systematic literature review of imaging features of spinal degeneration in asymptomatic populations
33 studies reporting imaging findings in 3,110 people without symptoms.
What it foundDegenerative findings were common in people without pain and became more frequent with age. A scan needs interpretation alongside symptoms and examination findings.
What it cannot tell usThis does not mean every disc finding is harmless or that imaging is never needed. It cannot identify the cause of an individual patient’s pain.
Publication details & citation
Brinjikji et al. Systematic literature review of imaging features of spinal degeneration in asymptomatic populations. American Journal of Neuroradiology. 2015. DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.A4173.
Read the publication recordSurgery versus prolonged conservative treatment for sciatica
283 patients with severe sciatica lasting 6–12 weeks, assigned early surgery or prolonged conservative care with surgery if needed.
What it foundEarly surgery provided faster relief and recovery, while one-year outcomes were similar.
What it cannot tell usAbout 39% initially assigned conservative care had surgery. This was not a chiropractic trial and does not show that treatment shrinks discs or guarantees avoiding surgery.
Publication details & citation
Peul et al. Surgery versus prolonged conservative treatment for sciatica. New England Journal of Medicine. 2007. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa064039.
Read the publication record
Read our editorial policy for how sources and clinical review are identified.