Bulging Disc                  << Back

A bulging disc is a disc that extrudes into the spinal canal. It is also referred to as a ruptured disc or slipped disc. As a disc degenerates, it can herniate (the inner core extrudes) back into the spinal canal, as shown in this picture on the left. The light blue oval area is the disc and it is bulging into the spinal canal on the lower right side of the disc. In the lumbar area, this can cause pain to radiate all the way down the patient's leg to the foot. In the area of the cervical spine, the pain would radiate from the neck down the arm to the fingers.

Approximately 90% of bulging discs will occur at L4- L5 (lumbar segments 4 and 5) or L5- S1 (lumbar segment 5 and sacral segment1), which causes pain in the L5 nerve or S1 nerve, respectively.

Recommended medical treatment is generally open back surgery, with high risks, hospital stays and lengthy recuperation time.  But now patients have the option of Spinal Decompression and Laser Therapy Program®.a gentle, affordable and effective non-surgical solution.

Causes of a Herniated or Bulging Disc

As you grow older, your discs become flatter -- less cushiony. If a disc becomes too weak, the outer part (annulus) may tear. The inside part of the disc pushes through the tear and presses on the nerves beside it. Herniated discs are most common in people in their 30's and 40's.

The spine is made up of a series of connected bones called "vertebrae". The disc is a combination of strong connective tissues that hold one vertebra to the next, and acts as a cushion between the vertebrae. The disc is made of a tough outer layer called the "annulus fibrosus" and a gel-like center called the "nucleus pulposus." As you get older, the center of the disc may start to lose water content, making the disc less effective as a cushion. This may cause a displacement of the disc's center (called a herniated disc or ruptured disc) through a crack in the outer layer. This can occur in the neck (cervical region) or the back (lumbar region) and the mid back (thoracic spine).

Symptoms of a Bulging Disc

The weak spot in a disc is directly under the nerve root, and a bulging disc in this area puts direct pressure on the nerve.   When part of a disk presses on a nerve in the lumbar region, it can cause pain in both the back and the legs. The location of the pain depends on which disc is weak. How bad the pain is depends on how much of the disc is pressing on the nerve. In most people with bulging discs, the pain spreads over the buttocks and goes down the back of one thigh and into the calf. This is commonly referred to as Sciatica.

A bulging disc in the lumbar region can also cause numbness and tingling down the legs and into the feet. In the area of the cervical spine (the neck), the pain, numbness and tingling can radiate from the neck through the shoulders, down the arm and even in the fingers.

Approximately 90% of disc herniations will occur at L4- L5 (lumbar segments 4 and 5) or L5- S1 (lumbar segment 5 and sacral segment1), which causes pain in the L5 nerve or S1 nerve, respectively.

A bulging disc pressing on the nerves in the spine can also cause weakness of the leg. The group of muscles that are weak depends on which nerve is being impinged. A bulging disc in the lumbar region may also cause back pain, although back pain alone (without leg pain) can have many causes other than a bulging disc.

The pain from a bulging disk is usually worse when you're active and gets better when you're resting. Coughing, sneezing, sitting, driving and bending forward may make the pain worse. The pain gets worse when you make these movements because they put more pressure on the nerve.

Treatment of a Bulging Disc

Recommended medical treatment is generally open back surgery, with high risks, hospital stays and lengthy recuperation time.  But now patients have the option of Spinal Decompression and Laser Therapy Program^®.a gentle, affordable and effective non-surgical solution.

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