Slipped Disc: Symptoms and Recovery

A “slipped” disc doesn’t actually slip. The soft centre of a spinal disc bulges or pushes out and can press on a nerve. It sounds alarming, but most people get better within six to twelve weeks without an operation.

Imagine bending to lift a heavy box and feeling a sharp twinge in your lower back. By the next morning, pain is shooting down the back of your leg into your foot. You’re scared to move. Gentle walking, the right pain relief and patience see you back to normal by the end of the second month.

Common symptoms

• Lower back or neck pain
• Pain spreading down a leg (sciatica) or down an arm
• Numbness, tingling or pins and needles in the leg, foot, arm or hand
• Muscle weakness in the affected limb
• Pain that worsens with sitting, coughing or sneezing

What helps recovery

• Keep moving. Bed rest slows recovery. Short, frequent walks are better.
• Use pain relief such as anti-inflammatories if they’re safe for you, so you can stay active.
• Heat packs can ease muscle spasm.
• A physiotherapist can teach exercises to strengthen your core and improve movement.
• Return to normal activities and work gradually; you don’t need to be pain-free first.

If pain stays severe after six weeks, a doctor may suggest stronger nerve pain medicines, a steroid injection or, for a small number of people, surgery to relieve pressure on the nerve.

But when is back pain an emergency?

Get emergency help immediately if you have back pain with numbness around your bottom or genitals, new difficulty peeing or controlling your bladder or bowels, or weakness in both legs. These can be signs of cauda equina syndrome, which needs urgent surgery to prevent permanent damage. Also see a doctor promptly for back pain with fever, unexplained weight loss, a history of cancer or after a significant fall.

Sources: NHS (Slipped disc), NICE (Low back pain and sciatica in over 16s), Mayo Clinic (Herniated disk), American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.