Treatment Options for Bulging Disks
- Conservative treatment is also called nonoperative management. ...
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen are the first-line prescription medications for a bulging disk. ...
- Physical treatment (PT) may eliminate pressure on the nerve.
- At-home traction devices can reduce pressure on the nerve.
Can bulging disc get better on its own?
Commonly prescribed conservative treatments include: Anti-inflammatory medications Epidural steroid injections Physical therapy Exercise Lifestyle changes, including losing weight and quitting smoking
How long does it take for a bulging disc to heal?
Bulging discs in the neck can be treated with physical therapy and exercises. Gentle neck stretching and exercises to strengthen its muscles are part of this routine. Additionally, pain medication and surgery are offered as additional options. Nonsurgical
What is a good treatment for a bulging disc problem?
Feb 08, 2022 · Besides taking the pain medications your doctor recommends, try: Applying heat or cold. Initially, cold packs can be used to relieve pain and inflammation. After a few days, you might switch to gentle heat to give ... Avoiding too much bed rest. Staying in bed can lead to stiff joints and weak ...
Can a bulging disc heal on its own?
Mar 08, 2017 · Bulging Disc Treatment A patient should change body positioning and behaviors (sleeping, sitting and posture positions) first to help reduce any bulging disc symptoms or pain caused by the affected disc. Addressing causal factors may help to slow the worsening of …
What is the fastest way to heal a bulging disc?
How to heal a herniated disc quicklyAlternate applying heat and cold.Stay as active as you can. Take walks to avoid becoming too stiff from resting too often.Try alternative treatments like acupuncture, massage, or chiropractic.Jan 27, 2022
Which treatment is best for disc bulge?
Treatment for a Bulging DiscMedication. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen are the first-line medications for a bulging disc. ... Physical therapy. ... Chiropractic. ... Massage. ... Ultrasound therapy. ... Heat or cold. ... Limited bed rest. ... Braces and support devices.More items...•Nov 27, 2018
Can a bulging disc heal on its own?
The good news is that in most cases — 90% of the time — pain caused by a herniated disc will go away on its own within six months. Initially, your doctor will likely recommend that you take an over-the-counter pain reliever and limit activities that cause pain or discomfort.Sep 1, 2020
How long does a bulging disc take to heal?
Most (80-90%) cases involving bulging or herniated discs will heal within 2-4 months. This of course depends on the severity of the injury, as well as your age and overall health. An important difference is that a herniated disc is a permanent injury that usually results in chronic, recurring pain.Aug 8, 2020
Is a bulging disc serious?
One of the most significant complications of a bulging disc is permanent nerve damage. Without treatment, compressed nerve roots in the spine can be permanently damaged, leading to chronic pain, weakness, and loss of sensation.
Can a chiropractor fix a bulging disc?
Yes! Chiropractic care is the preferred treatment method for many patients suffering from a bulging disc. It is non-invasive and does not require drugs or injections of any kind. Chiropractic can help provide you with improved mobility, decreased pain, and overall better quality of life.Feb 16, 2020
Is walking good for herniated disc?
Absolutely. Walking is an excellent choice for patients with herniated discs, as it stimulates blood flow and oxygen to the cells. It also helps keep your discs hydrated, which is important for healing. Other low-impact aerobic activities to try are swimming and cycling.Jan 14, 2019
Can a bulging disc get worse?
Do disc bulges get worse over time? Unfortunately if disc bulges are left untreated, and if the abnormal spinal stresses that caused them continue, they will often worsen over time.
Can MRI show bulging disc?
Can MRI detect herniated disc? Yes, an MRI scan is typically used to confirm a herniated disc diagnosis. It is used to locate exactly the point on the spine that shows herniation. This way, treatment, which in some cases may involve surgery, may be better managed to optimize patient recovery.
What a bulging disc looks like?
"A bulging disc is like letting air out of a car tire. The disc sags and looks like it is bulging outward. With a herniated disc, the outer covering of the disc has a hole or tear. This causes the nucleus pulposus (jelly-like center of the disc) to leak into the spinal canal."Nov 6, 2018
Do bulging discs shrink?
Over time, the herniation tends to shrink and you may experience partial or complete pain relief. In most cases, if low back and/or leg pain is going to resolve it will do so in about 6 weeks. Figure 1. Normal and herniated disc.
What are the symptoms of a bulging disc in your lower back?
SymptomsArm or leg pain. If your herniated disk is in your lower back, besides pain in your lower back, you'll typically feel pain in your buttocks, thigh and calf. ... Numbness or tingling. People who have a herniated disk often have radiating numbness or tingling in the body part served by the affected nerves.Weakness.Feb 8, 2022
So, What Is A Bulging Disc?
To understand what a bulging disc is, we must first understand the anatomy of the spine. Put simply, the spine is made up of individual vertebrae s...
What Causes A Bulging Disc?
● Seated in poor posture for long periods of time (in office, driving, etc..)● Repetitive bending, lifting, and twisting (Esp in poor form). ● Heav...
How Is A Bulging Disc Different from Herniated Disc? and Which Is Worse?
Now that we know what a bulging disc is, let’s discuss disc herniation. ● In most simple terms, a herniated disc is when the fluid material from th...
What Are The Symptoms of A Bulging Disc in The Lumbar Spine?
● Low Back Pain● Pain Can Travel Down Leg ● Decreased Lumbar Lordosis (Lower Back Curvature Becomes Flattened – Flatter Lower Back Over Time) ● Lum...
What Are The Most Effective Treatment Options?
With most bulging discs in the lower back, you want to use an extension based exercise programs. This can reverse the direction of the bulge and pu...
Exercise #1: Lying Figure-4 Stretch (For Piriformis)
In the early stages of a disc bulge, your body’s natural response is to tighten up and protect the spine and buttocks area. Because of this, one of...
Exercise #2: Prone Alternating Leg Raises
The prone leg lift creates spinal extension helping push the jelly-like material back towards the center and reduce bulging disc.
Exercise #3: Half Cobra Pose
The half cobra pose creates spinal extension helping push the nucleus (jelly) back towards the center and reduce bulging disc.
Exercise #4: Full Cobra Pose
The full cobra pose creates even more spinal extension than half cobra helping push the nucleus (jelly) back towards the center and reduce bulging...
Exercise #5: Abdominal Drawing Maneuver
A solid core foundation helps provide stability which in turn prevents re-injury and further injury from occurring. This will help reset the spine...
What to do for a bulging disc?
Bulging disc treatment options depend largely on your symptoms. Doctors often recommend acupuncture, electrotherapy, ice packs, or soft tissue massage for minor and moderately bulging disc injuries. You might also want to consider chiropractic treatment.
What is the best treatment for a damaged disc?
You might also want to consider chiropractic treatment. Another option is stem cell disc regeneration. This procedure stimulates the formation of new disc cells, which helps restore and rebuild damaged discs. Patients experience a reduction in pain and discomfort – and improved quality of life.
Why do my discs bulge out?
As we age, our discs dehydrate and their cartilage becomes stiff, which may cause them to bulge out. While aging is the most common cause of bulging discs, there are other factors that may contribute to this condition. These include: A family history of spinal problems.
How many discs are there in the spine?
Their role is to absorb shock and allow movement at each spinal level. The spine has a total of 23 discs. These anatomical structures are subject to wear and tear. At birth, about 80 percent of their content is water.
How to treat a compressed spinal nerve?
Ice packs reduce inflammation and swelling around the compressed spinal nerve. All you need to do is to apply ice on the affected areas for about 10 minutes; repeat several times a day.
Where does disc protrusion occur?
Sometimes, it results from a bulging disc. Also known as a disc protrusion, bulging discs typically occur in the lower back between vertebrae L5 and S1 or L4 and L5. Their symptoms vary from one individual to another. Some people may experience no symptoms at all, while others report excruciating pain.
How to improve range of motion?
Certain techniques, such as electrical stimulation, ultrasound therapy, traction, joint mobilization, and soft tissue massage, can relieve pain and improve your range of motion. Electrical stimulation, for instance, helps reduce muscle spasms. Joint mobilization can increase your flexibility and normalize joint function.
How to heal a bulging disc?
The most important thing is to give the bulging disc the opportunity to heal by: Changing the movements and habits that put unhealthy loads through the disc. Building strength in the appropriate muscles to give the disc the support it needs. Written by Dr. Jeremy James.
How long does it take for a bulging disc to heal?
With proper exercise and healthy spine habits, a bulging disc rarely requires surgery. In fact, it can typically be treated at home and can usually heal on its own within 6 to 12 months. The most important thing is to give the bulging disc the opportunity to heal by: 1 Changing the movements and habits that put unhealthy loads through the disc. 2 Building strength in the appropriate muscles to give the disc the support it needs.
How to tell if a disc is bulging?
A bulging disc can be diagnosed by a thorough evaluation by a health care professional and also by imaging such as an MRI. Symptom patterns common to bulging discs include pain with forward bending, pain with coughing, sneezing or bowel movements, and pain with prolonged sitting. The pain can occur in the back, ...
What is the difference between a disc and a donut?
Each disc is like a jelly-filled donut, with a gelatinous inner layer and firm outer layer. Typically, pressure created by everyday activities like walking, bending, sitting, and lifting is distributed evenly across discs. But bad posture, repetitive movements, and a lack of strength in the muscles that support the spine can cause unhealthy ...
What causes a disc to be uneven?
The weight that is usually distributed evenly through the disc by daily activities (walking, sitting, and bending over) is now distributed in an uneven pattern, putting unhealthy pressure on the affected disc and the surrounding discs, joints, and ligaments. Eventually this pressure causes problems which can result in pain.
What happens when the pressure gets too great in one part of the disc?
When the pressure gets too great in one part of the disc, the inner liquid can push into the outer layer causing a “bulge” to form— this is referred to as a bulging disc. When pressure and the bulge become extreme, the outer layer tears and the inner liquid spills out, resulting in a disc herniation —a herniated disc is a potentially much more ...
Why does my disc hurt?
Pain and/or dysfunction can be caused in four general ways: If the other structures around the disc become overloaded because the damaged disc in unable to absorb shocks, they wear down and become inflamed, resulting in arthritis .
What is a bulging disc?
To understand what a bulging disc is, we must first understand the anatomy of the spine. Put simply, the spine is made up of individual vertebrae stacked on top of each other. Between each vertebrae is an intervertebral disc that provides a cushion so the vertebrae don’t rub together. The discs between the vertebrae, ...
How to tell if a disc is bulging?
What are the Symptoms of a Bulging Disc in the Lumbar Spine? 1 At times NO symptoms at all. [2] [7] 2 General Low back pain. [4] 3 Pain can travel down the leg if it pinches on a nerve. [4] 4 Decreased lumbar lordosis (lower back curvature becomes flattened). [6] 5 Muscle spasm [4]
How to relieve back pain from piriformis?
Exercise #1: Lying Figure-4 Stretch ( For Piriformis) In the early stages of a disc bulge, your body’s natural response is to tighten up and protect the spine and buttocks area. Because of this, one of the the simplest things you can do yourself to relieve radiating back pain caused my a disc bulge is stretching piriformis muscle.
What is the best exercise to strengthen your core?
Exercise #5: Plank – To Strengthen Core/Abs. A strong core will protect the spine and improve one’s posture. Therefore this exercise is great at targeting those deep core muscles. ● Begin lying on your stomach with your forearms against the mat.
Does a bulging disc hurt?
[1] [3] * It is important to note that a bulging disc doesn’t always touch the nerves , and for many a bulged disc doesn’t even produce any pain at all. [2] [7] However, it could progress ...
Can you reverse a bulging disc?
Leon’s Notes: There’s some research showing that a bulging disc can in fact be reversed with exercise and posture modifications. Meaning you could actually push back the disc material, so it doesn’t bulge. With most bulging discs in the lower back, you want to try an extension based exercise program (Mckenzie method is a popular one). [5] .
Can you do a plank with a low back?
Notes: The most important thing is NOT to arch your low back when doing the Plank exercise. Only hold the plank for as long as you can engage your core muscles without straining the low back muscles. Other forms of exercise that may help, that were not mentioned above include core strength, walking, pilates, and yoga.
What is the procedure to remove a herniated disk?
Surgery. Diskectomy is the surgical removal of the damaged portion of a herniated disk in your spine. A herniated disk occurs when some of the softer material inside the disk pushes out through a crack in the tougher exterior. This can irritate or compress nearby nerves and cause pain, numbness or weakness.
What tests are needed for a herniated disk?
In most cases of herniated disk, a physical exam and a medical history are all that's needed for a diagnosis. If your doctor suspects another condition or needs to see which nerves are affected, he or she may order one or more of the following tests.
What test can be used to confirm the location of the herniated disk and to see which nerves are affected
This test can be used to confirm the location of the herniated disk and to see which nerves are affected. Myelogram . A dye is injected into the spinal fluid before X-rays are taken. This test can show pressure on your spinal cord or nerves due to multiple herniated disks or other conditions.
How to treat low back pain?
Spinal manipulation has been found to be moderately effective for low back pain that has lasted for at least a month. Rarely, chiropractic treatment of the neck can cause certain types of strokes. Acupuncture. Although results are usually modest, acupuncture appears to ease chronic back and neck pain. Massage.
Can a surgeon remove a disk?
Loss of bladder or bowel control. In nearly all cases, surgeons can remove just the protruding portion of the disk. Rarely, the entire disk must be removed. In these cases, the vertebrae may need to be fused with a bone graft.
Can you take codeine for disk herniation?
Because of the side effects of opioids and the potential for addiction, many doctors hesitate to prescribe them for disk herniation. If other medication doesn't relieve your pain, your doctor might consider short-term use of opioids, such as codeine or an oxycodone-acetaminophen combination (Percocet, Roxicet).
What is the best treatment for a bulging disc?
Minimally Invasive treatments are becoming more common and endoscopic spine surgery might be an option in relieving the pain. Surgeons can utilize minor surgical techniques in order to correct bulging disc problems.
How to stop bulging discs?
A patient should change body positioning and behaviors (sleeping, sitting and posture positions) first to help reduce any bulging disc symptoms or pain caused by the affected disc. Addressing causal factors may help to slow the worsening of the condition.
What causes a bulging disc?
Potential Causes for a Bulging Disc 1 People who have led a sedentary lifestyle or those who smoke increase the chances for bulging disc. 2 Continuous strain on the disc from injury or heavy lifting and strain can wear them down throughout the years. 3 Weakened back muscles can accelerate the process and may lead to a sudden herniation of the weakened disc. 4 Although bulging discs occur over time, herniated discs may occur quickly by trauma. 5 Bad posture including improper body positioning during sleep, sitting, standing or exercise are all risk factors which may contribute to the development of a bulging disc. 6 Obesity 7 High contact sports or activities are also risk factors. 8 Runners who fail to use shoes that provide orthopedic support may also develop bulging discs. 9 Activities that place stress and strain on the spine can lead to the weakening of the discs.
What does it mean when your disc is bulging?
In most cases, when a bulging disc has reached this stage it is near or at herniation. Tingling or pain in the fingers, hands, arms, neck or shoulders. This could indicate a bulging disc in the cervical area. Pain in the feet, thighs, lower spine and buttocks. This is the most common symptom and could indicate an issue in the lumbar region.
Why do my discs bulge?
Although bulging discs occur over time, herniated discs may occur quickly by trauma. Bad posture including improper body positioning during sleep, sitting, standing or exercise are all risk factors which may contribute to the development of a bulging disc. Obesity. High contact sports or activities are also risk factors.
How to help a herniated disc?
A healthy weight reduction plan and exercise can be used to help obese patients. In some cases, a doctor may recommend physical therapy to strengthen muscles in the back and to regain any lost mobility. Before herniation, many of the non-surgical treatments are successful in managing bulging discs.
What happens when a disc balloons?
Movement or slipping of the disc from its normal positioning results in an outward swelling of the fluid material throughout the weakest point of the shell of the disc. In many cases, the disc balloons in between spaces in the vertebrae. This process happens over an extended period.
