The disks in your spine are your “shock absorbers” between the bones (vertebras). With forces too strong for the disk to support, such as, lifting an object that is too heavy or lifting it improperly, tears in the disk or a herniation of the disk may occur. A herniated disk is also called a bulging, protruding or “slipped” disk which may cause specific pain patterns from the back into the buttocks, hips, and/or legs. The ways in which a herniated disc causes different pain patterns and problems with your back is related to the location of the herniated disc along your spine, and also to the anatomy of your spinal column.