DISC BULGE
The gel-like substance inside the vertebrae that absorbs any shock from impact loses its shape and position, leading to disc bulge.
A bulging disc might not cause any pain or give any symptom as it may not have reached a certain severity level and this might make it difficult to identify the condition before it shows up any symptom. However, when the disc gets pressed against a spinal nerve root, one may experience symptoms like pain, tingling, numbness, or muscle weakness. The symptoms of bulging discs vary according to the severity of the bulge and the affected level of your spine.
- Neck and lower back pain that persists for a long time
- Continuous sharp pain in a specific area in the back.
- Pain that radiates to your buttocks, thighs, knees, and feet. This may be a result of nerve endings being pressurized at the lower spine.
- Back pain when coughing or sneezing
- Cramps, or spasms
- There is numbness or tingling in the legs or in hands, along with muscular weakness.
Many different factors cause disc bulge but the most common conditions that lead to bulging discs are as follows:
- Degeneration: Over a period of time, the hard exterior of the disc weakens, leading to disc bulge.
- Axial overloading (lifting): Among younger patients, a sedentary lifestyle leads to a constant static load on the back, causing a disc bulge.
- Body weight: Excess body weight, especially around the abdomen, put pressure on the lower back that the discs cannot sustain.
- Gradual wear and tear: Intense physical activity like engaging in contact sports, aging, any physical trauma, and even poor posture can lead to disc bulge.
- Spinal injuries – Injuries like a fall, car accidents, sports injury, etc can cause severe wear and tear in the spine to occur instantaneously hence leading to disc bulge or herniation
The bulging disc symptoms can mimic other conditions of the spine. Hence, obtaining an accurate diagnosis is important. Your physician will go through your medical history and check for your symptoms along with physical examination.
Your doctor may advise you to get a few imaging tests like:
- X-ray
- MRI scan
- CT scan
How VerteCare Spine Diagnoses Bulging Disc?
The spine specialist will go through your previous medical records, conduct a physical examination and check for your symptoms. A neurological examination might be done to check your reflexes, muscle balance, ability to walk, and ability to feel.
If required, you may be asked to get a few imaging tests like X-ray, CT scan, and MRI scan to check which nerves have got affected.
If disc bulge isn’t treated on time, it can lead to disc herniation (commonly known as slipped disc). The treatment is often based on the patient’s age and the severity of the condition:
Surgical Intervention:
This step is only taken if the pain cannot be managed by medications, injections, Physicl Therapy, Vertebro-axial decompression and the condition is intolerable for the patient. Most cases can be managed with conservative treatment methods only and only a minor percentage of cases require surgery.
Non-surgical options include the following:
- Conservative treatment methods: Rest, medications, epidural injections, Physiotherapy
- Vertebro-axial decompression
- Maintaining a good posture while sitting, sleeping, etc.
- Heat/Ice therapy to relieve pain
- Maintaining a healthy body weight
- Activity and lifestyle modification
How VerteCare Spine Treats Bulging Disc?
Diagnosing and treating bulging discs on time is essential. If disc bulge is not treated on time, then it may lead to disc herniation. The treatment is often based on the age of the patient and the severity of the condition.
Vertecare Spine provides Spinal Decompression using Vax-D technique, which help reduced the disc bulge, improve the nutrition & healing of the discs and reduce symptoms.
We also provide Physical therapy and weight loss programmes to reduce the chances of recurrences
Bulging Disc Prevention
You can follow the below tips to prevent a bulging disc:
- Lose excess weight
- Maintain a healthy posture
- Eat a balanced and nutrient-rich diet
- Precautions to be taken during high-impact sports and exercises
- Quit smoking
How VerteCare Spine Treats Bulging Disc?
Diagnosing and treating bulging discs on time is essential. If disc bulge is not treated on time, then it may lead to disc herniation. The treatment is often based on the age of the patient and the severity of the condition.
Vertecare Spine provides Spinal Decompression using Vax-D technique, which help reduced the disc bulge, improve the nutrition & healing of the discs and reduce symptoms.
We also provide Physical therapy and weight loss programmes to reduce the chances of recurrences
Bulging Disc Prevention
You can follow the below tips to prevent a bulging disc:
- Lose excess weight
- Maintain a healthy posture
- Eat a balanced and nutrient-rich diet
- Precautions to be taken during high-impact sports and exercises
- Quit smoking
Bulge Disc FAQs
No, a bulging disc is not the same as a herniated disc.
When the disc sags and looks like it’s protruding outwards, but the outer covering of the disc remains intact, it is called a bulging disc. Whereas when the outer covering of the disc experiences a tear due to which the inner fluid oozes out into the spinal canal, it is called a herniated disc. A herniated disc is an increased level of severity of a disc bulge.
Generally, bulging discs are age-related degeneration. The discs deteriorate as we age and bulge downward. It develops over time. A bulging disc occurs when a disc suffers some damage and is pushed outward from its position extending beyond the vertebrae.
Pain relieving medicines and physical therapy are the two ideal non-surgical, non-invasive bulging disc treatment options. Although the above treatments do not reduce the bulging disc, they do help in relieving the pain associated with it. We bring to you non-surgical decompression, that helps reducing the size of the disc bulge, improving the nutrition of the discs, making them healthier and reducing the chances of recurrence.
Yes, it is true. A herniated disc may actually begin with a bulging disc whose outer wall has been ruptured.
- Difficulty in performing daily activities such as sitting, standing, or walking.
- Persisting pain that does not get relieved by medications
- Pain radiating to buttocks, thighs, knees, ankles or feet
- Numbness or tingling sensation in the legs
- Weakness in legs or loss of sensation
- Problems with urine or bowel movements
