SLIPPED DISC

Your spine is made up of stacked bones called vertebrae. Between each vertebra sits a spinal disc that acts as a natural shock absorber, helping your back bend, twist, and carry weight.

Each disc has two main parts:

• A soft, gel-like centre that cushions movement
• A tough outer layer that keeps the disc stable and in place

A slipped disc happens when the outer layer weakens or tears, allowing the inner portion to bulge outward. When this bulge presses on nearby nerves, pain, numbness, or weakness can develop. In more severe cases, disc material may irritate nerves within the spinal canal, affecting movement and daily function.

A slipped disc can come from many different factors, ranging from physical stress to age-related changes. 

A slipped disc occurs when the tough outer ring of the spinal disc weakens or tears, allowing the soft inner material to bulge out. This degeneration is accelerated by age, physical stress, and several lifestyle factors: 

Discs lose water content and elasticity with age, making them more prone to slipping or herniation.

Improper exercise, twisting while lifting heavy objects, and carrying excess weight increase pressure on discs.

Sitting or standing with poor posture over time can strain your discs.

Heavier body weight may strain the discs that support it.

Heavier body weight may strain the discs that support it.

Slipped disc symptoms can range from mild discomfort to severe, daily limitations. If your pain persists, worsens, or restricts your ability to perform simple actions, it’s best to have it assessed by a specialist.

• Radiating Pain: Sharp, burning, or electric shock–like pain may travel from the back/buttocks to the legs (sciatica) or from the neck to the arm/fingers, often worsened by coughing or bending.
• Acute Pain: Pain usually appears suddenly and sometimes improves within six weeks, but the disc injury remains and can cause recurrence.
• Numbness or Tingling: When the disc presses down on nerves, you may feel numbness or tingling radiating to the affected areas, often down the leg.

If you experience any of the following symptoms, you should seek medical attention immediately:

• Loss of bowel and/or bladder control, loss of feeling in your lower legs and feet or upper limbs and hands/fingers: These may be signs of cauda equina syndrome, a rare but serious spinal disorder.
• Loss of balance and fine motor skills, which occurs alongside muscle weakness: These are signs of signal spinal nerve compression, where the herniated disc can even compress the spinal cord itself.
• Persistent pain lasting more than 3 months: Even after several weeks of conservative treatment, such as with ice, heat or stretching, your symptoms don’t improve and even worsen.
• Pain affecting daily function and sleep: Your pain is debilitating, inhibiiting you from doing day-to-day activities (eg. work or social events). Your sleep is interrupted and affected by pain, causing sleep deprivation and low energy.

The sooner you consult medical help, the higher the chances of early treatment that will lead to complete recovery. Do not wait for the symptoms to disappear, as irreparable nerve damage may occur.

If your slipped disc is mild, you will benefit from conservative treatments, including:

• Pharmalogical Treatment: Muscle relaxants, painkillers, and anti-inflammatory drugs help reduce pain and swelling around the affected nerve. If standard medications are insufficient, stronger options such as short-term narcotics or nerve pain medication may be prescribed under close supervision.
• Activity modification: While rest is helpful during severe painful episodes, complete inactivity can weaken muscles and stiffen joints. You should pace your exercises and progress gradually, avoiding the urge to push through severe pain signals.
• Physical Exercise: Gentle stretching, low-impact activities, and targeted strengthening programs maintain flexibility, build muscle support, and improve tolerance without overexertion.

If your slipped disc pain has been persistent or more severe, minimally invasive treatments can address the real source without the need for open surgery. At Singapore Paincare, we offer precise procedures designed to relieve pain at its origin.

A procedure that frees nerves compressed by a slipped disc from surrounding scar tissue or adhesions to reduce pain and restore nerve function

A minimally invasive procedure that uses radiofrequency energy to remove a portion of the slipped disc, reducing pressure on nearby nerves.

A technique that uses heat generated by radio waves to disable specific nerves affected by a slipped disc, blocking pain signals from reaching the brain.

A minimally invasive procedure that uses laser energy delivered through an endoscope to remove slipped disc material and relieve nerve compression.

Our specialist will discuss with you whether your slipped disc requires surgery. Before recommending any surgical option, a specialist will review detailed scans of your spine to understand the exact cause. They will then discuss whether surgery is necessary and explain the potential benefits and risks. Generally, surgery is reserved for very severe cases or when conservative treatments have failed.

• Microdiscectomy: Removes the damaged/protruding portion of the disc to relieve nerve pressure.
• Artificial Disc Replacement: Replaces the damaged disc with a synthetic one to maintain spinal motion.
• Disc Removal with Spinal Fusion and Laminectomy: Removes the disc and fuses vertebrae for stability, sometimes combined with laminectomy to stabilize the spinal column.

Surgery relieves nerve compression and pain immediately, but physiotherapy is needed afterward to rehabilitate the back muscles.

A slipped disc may start as a simple ache, but if ignored it can affect how you move, sleep, and work. Everyday factors like long hours of sitting, improper lifting, or just age-related wear and tear can trigger it. If left untreated, the bulging disc can press intensely on nerves, potentially causing severe, radiating pain, numbness, and weakness to spread down your limbs.

Many people assume severe back or leg pain always requires open surgery to fix a “slipped disc.” In reality, precise injections, physical therapy, and minimally invasive procedures are often enough to relieve the nerve compression. That’s why the first step is always to find out exactly where your pain comes from.

At Singapore Paincare, our Painostic® method goes beyond treating symptoms. We identify the real source of discomfort and build an individualised, minimally invasive plan—so you can eat comfortably, sleep well, and return to your daily life with confidence.