The first part of the answer to this question is that, technically, a disc can’t ‘slip’. The disc is a pad of cartilage-type material situated between spinal bones. It acts as a shock absorber and spacer between the bones. It has a thick pulpy centre surrounded by outer layers of fibrous tissue, somewhat like the layers of an onion. When it all works properly you can bend and twist easily. Because of the way each disc is attached to the vertebrae above and below by hundreds of little fibres, a disc cannot ‘slip’. However, injury to the spine can cause discs to tear, bulge, herniate, or worse, rupture. This can be quite painful, as the soft centre of the disc leaks, and can put pressure on the adjacent nerve roots and spinal cord. Over the years, chiropractic care has been reasonably successful with control of this type of injury, so a ‘short trial of care’ may delay or even avoid a back surgery for many people.