Back & spine Orthopaedic Rehabilitation
Slipped Disc (Disc Herniation)
- Back pain with pain travelling into a leg or arm
- Pins and needles or numbness
- Pain worse with sitting, coughing or bending
- Muscle weakness in the affected limb
Quick answer
A slipped disc is a bulge or tear in a spinal disc that can press on a nearby nerve root, causing back pain with pain, numbness or weakness in a limb. Nothing actually slips out of place. Most herniations shrink on their own and settle within six to twelve weeks without surgery.
Typical recovery
6–12 weeks for most cases
A typical range, not a promise — how long it takes depends on how long it has been going on, and on what you do between appointments.
"Slipped disc" is a misleading name that has stuck. Nothing slips. The disc between two vertebrae develops a bulge or a tear in its outer wall, and the inner material can press against a nerve root as it leaves the spine.
What it feels like
Back or neck pain accompanied by symptoms in a limb — the leg for a lumbar disc, the arm for a cervical one. The limb symptoms are usually the more troubling: sharp or burning pain, pins and needles, numbness, sometimes weakness. Coughing, sneezing and sitting typically worsen it.
The thing most people are not told
Disc herniations commonly shrink over months without any intervention, and the body reabsorbs the displaced material. Large herniations frequently resolve better than small ones. A herniation visible on a scan does not commit anyone to surgery, and the size of the bulge correlates poorly with how much pain someone has.
How physiotherapy helps
- Identifying the movement direction that reduces limb symptoms, and building treatment around it
- Nerve mobilisation and hands-on work for the associated stiffness
- Managing load through the spine during the irritable phase — sitting, driving, lifting
- Progressive strengthening of the trunk and hips once symptoms centralise
- Realistic explanation, which matters here: fear of movement after a disc diagnosis is itself a major obstacle
How long it takes
Most people improve substantially over six to twelve weeks. Limb symptoms typically retreat towards the spine before they disappear. Numbness recovers slowest.
When to seek help urgently
Immediate hospital assessment is needed for numbness in the saddle area, loss of bladder or bowel control, or progressive weakness in both legs.
Medically reviewed by Kapil Kumar, BPT, MPT, Orthopaedic Physiotherapy · Last reviewed September 2026