Slipped Disk

I just came back from hospital visiting SyikinBaik/SyikinUTP. She just had a surgery yesterday to remove the damaged disk. I remember she used to tell us bout her severe back pain after delivering her twins few years back. I thought everything has been okay. Suddenly last few days, she texted saying she was going to undergo a surgery the next day. huh

When I first learned about her pain a few years ago, I thought it was caused by her pregnancy, since she was pregnant with twins so I thought it might have strained her back or it might have caused by some household fall during teenage years.

 I search the net and found this about Slipped disk or Prolapsed disk.

Understanding the back
The spine is made up of many bones called vertebrae. These are roughly circular and between each vertebra is a 'disc'. The discs are made of strong 'rubber-like' tissue which allows the spine to be fairly flexible. A disc has a stronger fibrous outer part, and a softer jelly-like middle part called the nucleus pulposus.
The spinal cord, which contains the nerves that come from the brain, is protected by the spine. Nerves from the spinal cord come out from between the vertebrae to take and receive messages to various parts of the body.
Strong ligaments attach to the vertebrae. These give extra support and strength to the spine. Various muscles also surround, and are attached to, various parts of the spine. (The muscles and ligaments are not shown in the diagram below for clarity.)

What is a prolapsed disc?

When you have a prolapsed disc (commonly called a 'slipped disc'), a disc does not actually 'slip'. What happens is that part of the inner softer part of the disc (the nucleus pulposus) bulges out (herniates) through a weakness in the outer part of the disc. A prolapsed disc is sometimes called a herniated disc. The bulging disc may press on nearby structures such as a nerve coming from the spinal cord. Some inflammation also develops around the prolapsed part of the disc.
Any disc in the spine can prolapse. However, most prolapsed discs occur in the lumbar part of the spine (lower back). The size of the prolapse can vary. As a rule, the larger the prolapse, the more severe the symptoms are likely to be.

http://www.patient.co.uk/health/Prolapsed-Disc-(Slipped-Disc).htm

And slipped disk often cause a sudden back pain.and in Syikin case it was actually sudden. According to her story, she was in Kedah on his way to Perlis for work and suddenly she woke up in the morning and cannot walk. She felt pain at her leg, pin and needles, numbness in her buttocks to the toes.

Do not panic yet guys, not all back pain are cause by slipped disk. Most of the time back pain was cause by minor problem of muscle or ligament. 1 out of 20 cases of back pain is cause by slipped disk. And according to the site, slipped this are common among male than female and of the 30 to 50 years old.

What I learned from the site, not all cases of slipped disk needed surgery. Most of the time the symptoms will get better in a few weeks and the condition will improve (with help of painkiller I supposed) with some exercise and keep active.

Why syikin need surgery?
Among the symptom that she had (from what she told us la) when she was having pain from her legs and numbness, she also was unable to pass urine (problems with bowel and bladder function) and this was considered emergency since the maybe the nerve at the lower spinal was pressed on by the swollen disk. So the surgery was to remove(cut out? I don't know doctors term) of the prolapsed this to prevent it from permanently damaging the nerve that control bowel and bladder function.

Well, let's pray for Syikin quick recovery and hope for a better health for us all.