The Lumbar Intervertebral Discs are located in the spine between the bony vertebra. The discs have a gel centre and a tough fibrous outer ring. They are mainly responsible for shock absorption through the spine.

Repetitive strain of the lower back can cause small cracks in the outer ring of the disc. The gel can seep into these cracks to the edge of the disc and cause it to bulge, this is called a herniated disc. If the gel breaks through the edge of the disc, this is called a prolapsed disc and is more severe.

Symptoms
A lumbar disc herniation can cause a deep underlying low back and buttock ache. If it presses on a nerve root then this can cause a shooting pain into the leg and ankle, and commonly tingling, numbness and weakness.

A lumbar disc prolapse will commonly cause severe low back pain and restriction of movement. Bending forward is particularly difficult in most cases. The irritation of the nerve root is commonly greater when a disc prolapses in comparison to a disc herniation, therefore the symptoms of tingling, numbness and weakness into the legs are also significantly worse.

Causes

• Repetitive forward bending of the spine, particularly if rotating at the same time
• Habitual slumped seated posture
• Heavy lifting
• Violent trauma (sports / road traffic accidents)