Treatment options
- Conservative treatment is also called nonoperative management. ...
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen are the first-line prescription medications for a bulging disc. ...
- Physical therapy (PT) may relieve pressure on the nerve.
- At-home traction devices can ease pressure on the nerve.
Can your bulging disks heal themselves?
Commonly prescribed conservative treatments include: Anti-inflammatory medications Epidural steroid injections Physical therapy Exercise Lifestyle changes, including losing weight and quitting smoking
How to correct bulging disc?
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: Changing the movements and habits that put unhealthy loads through the disc.
How to fix a bulging disc?
Nov 12, 2021 · With most bulging discs in the lower back, you want to try an extension based exercise program (Mckenzie method is a popular one). [5] This can reverse the direction of the bulge and push the fluid back into neutral alignment. …
Can a bulging disc go back to normal?
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 …
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
Can a bulging disc heal itself?
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.Aug 8, 2020
What happens if a bulging disc goes untreated?
A severe case of a bulging disc can cut off nerve impulses, even causing permanent nerve damage. Additionally, you may experience sharp paints, incontinence, bowel movement irregularity, or even partial paralysis as the issue worsens.Oct 2, 2020
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.
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 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 a bulging disc permanent?
Disc bulges are not permanent. The disc is a fluid filled structure and therefore has the capacity to heal, resolve and be re-absorbed.Feb 18, 2020
What causes a bulging disc?
As we get older, the protective cushiony discs between the vertebrae in our spine can dry out due to dehydration of the disc material, which is cartilage. When this cartilage dries out, it loses its integrity and can begin to slightly flatten out between its two vertebrae.Dec 12, 2019
When should I be worried about a bulging disc?
Immediate action required: Call 999 or go to A&E if you have back pain and: numbness around your bottom or genitals. cannot pee. lose feeling in 1 or both legs.
How painful is a bulging disc?
A bulging disc may have no pain at all because it has not reached a certain severity level, and this can make it difficult to identify the bulging disc symptoms before the condition becomes more severe. Most commonly, bulging discs create pressure points on nearby nerves which create a variety of sensations.Mar 8, 2017
What makes a bulging disc worse?
The pain from a herniated disc usually is worse when you are active and gets better when you are resting. Coughing, sneezing, sitting, driving, and bending forward may make the pain worse. The pain gets worse when you make these movements because there is more pressure on the nerve.May 15, 2003
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...
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.
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.
Can a bulging disc be resolved?
Usually bulging disc can be resolved over time if managed well, whereas the herniated disc will just scar down since the annulus (outer layer of disc) has ruptured. A nice visual spine model is provided below differentiating between normal, bulging, and herniated discs: [1] [7]
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.
How do you know if you have a bulging disk?
The symptoms of a bulging disk depend on its severity and location in the spine. Some people may experience no initial symptoms. However, with further disk degeneration and herniation, a person may have the following symptoms: back pain that worsens with movement, such as sneezes. spasms in the back muscles.
What is the term for the spongy disks that make up the spine?
A bulging disk occurs when the spongy disks between the bones in the spine become compressed and bulge out. A series of interlocking bones, called vertebrae, make up the spine. These vertebrae provide support for the spine and enable the back to bend and move. Between each vertebra is soft tissue, known as a spinal disk, ...
Why do my vertebrae bulge?
Bulging disks occur when the spongy disks between the vertebrae become compressed and bulge out. A common cause of bulging disks is aging. If this degradation continues, it can lead to a herniated disk. Herniated disks can cause pain, numbness, and mobility issues.
Why does my spine bulge?
Bulging disks result from a reduction of gel in the disk center. Less gel causes the disk to become compressed and start to bulge. The gel in a spinal disk naturally wears away over time. A bulging disk is usually the result of aging, but it can also be due to spinal injury, such as the result of a car accident.
What is a herniated disk?
Sometimes, the outer layer of the disk breaks down and causes a herniated disk. A herniated disk, also known as a ruptured or slipped disk, is when the gel-like center leaks out through a tear in the disk’s exterior wall.
What is the soft tissue between vertebrae?
Between each vertebra is soft tissue, known as a spinal disk, which prevents bones from rubbing against each other. The disks also act as shock absorbers to prevent damage during movement. Each disk contains a tough outer later with gel in the middle. This gel may decrease with age, become compressed, and push out.
What is the pain in the back?
back pain that worsens with movement, such as sneezes . spasms in the back muscles. weakness and numbness in the legs and feet. reduced mobility in the legs, knees, and ankles . decreased bladder and bowel control. difficulty walking.
