HERNIATED DISK

also called Protruded Disk, or Slipped Disk, intervertebral disk the rubbery centre or nucleus of which has slipped out from between the vertebrae so that it presses against the spinal cord. This displacement causes pain in the arms if the protrusion occurs at the level of the neck (between fifth and sixth or sixth and seventh cervical vertebrae) or pain in the lower back and in the legs if the protrusion occurs low in the backbone (usually between the fourth and fifth lumbar vertebrae or between the fifth lumbar and first sacral vertebrae). Treatment, depending on severity, may include bed rest, analgesic medication (e.g., aspirin), traction, orthopedic support, and physical therapy or, if the pain requires it, surgical removal of the protruded portion and fusion of the spinal vertebrae at the point affected. An alternative to surgery is treatment by injection of chymopapain, a proteolytic enzyme derived from papaya latex, which dissolves the damaged tissue.