Perth chiropractor Dr. Stacey Burke of West Coast Family Chiropractic http://www.westcoastfamilychiropractic.com answers the question "What is a slipped disc?"
The discs are protective shock-absorbing pads between the bones of the spine. Although they do not actually "slip," a disc may split or rupture. This can cause the disk to fail, allowing the gel (which is part of the disc) to escape into the surrounding tissue. The leaking jellylike substance can place pressure on the spinal cord or on a single nerve fiber and cause symptoms of pain either around the damaged disc or anywhere along the area controlled by that nerve.
