Slipped disc. Sagittal (side view) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan through the neck and upper back of a 42-year-old female patient with a prolapsed (slipped) intervertebral disc (centre). The front of the body is at left. The backbone (upper centre to lower right) is formed of blocks of bone called vertebrae. Adjacent vertebrae are cushioned by flexible pads of cartilage called intervertebral discs. Here, a slipped disc between the fifth and sixth cervical vertebrae in the neck is exerting pressure on the spinal cord (grey). Slipped discs cause severe pain. Most slipped discs heal with anti- inflammatory drugs and rest, though some require surgery.