Also known as slipped disc or intervertebral disc prolapse is a medical condition affecting the spine, in which a tear in the outer, fibrous ring of an intervertebral disc allows the soft, central portion to bulge out beyond the damaged outer rings. Tears are almost always posterior-lateral in nature owing to the presence of the posterior longitudinal ligament in the spinal canal. This tear in the disc ring may result in the release of inflammatory chemical mediators which may directly cause severe pain, even in the absence of nerve root compression

Slipped discs are most often seen between the ages of 40 and 60.

SYMPTOMS
A slipped disc can be symptom free. If it causes pain, it is primarily due to the pressure on the nerve roots, the spinal cord or the caudate equine.

• Symptoms due to pressure on nerve roots: Paralysis of single muscles, possibly with pain radiating to the arms or legs. There may also be a disturbance of feeling in the limbs.
• Symptoms due to pressure on the spinal cord: Disturbance of feeling, muscle spasms or paralysis in the part of the body below the spinal cord pressure. For example, pressure on the spinal cord in the chest area will cause spasms in the legs but not in the arms. Pressure on the spinal cord may cause problems with control of the bladder.
• Symptoms due to pressure on the caudate equine: The symptoms can include loss of control of the bladder function, disturbance of feeling in the rectum and the inside of the thighs and paralysis of both legs. These are serious symptoms and anyone developing them should contact a doctor immediately.

CAUSES

• Fall
• Trauma to spinal cord
• Lifting heavy weights
• Idiopathic
• Wrong postures