What is a Bulging Disc?

A bulging disc (also known as disc bulge) signifies that 50% or more of an intervertebral disc is being squeezed to beyond its adjacent vertebral body boundaries. Disc bulging generally indicates there is a problem in the surrounding spinal structures, whether it is an increase in spinal load or weakness of a spinal disc. A bulging disc is not what is actually painful, but it is the catalyst to other spinal conditions such as spinal stenosis, sciatica, and nerve compression.

Symptoms of a Bulging Disc

Most disc bulges will not begin to present with symptoms until disc tears, disc degerantions, and herniations occure. For the cervical bulging disc the patient would feel symptoms of pain, numbness, and tingling in the shoulders, arms, and hands as the nerves that send signals to these extremities are pinched and compressed. Over time weakness may begin to be felt in these muscles as a result of compressing the pathways that deliver vital nutrients to them.

A lower back disc bulge will have similar symptoms as well except they would be felt in the low back, buttocks, legs, and feet.

What Causes a Bulging Disc?

The most common cause of a bulging disc is age. As we age our spinal structures begin to degrade causing the outer ring of our intervertebral disc to weaken. When the disc has become too weak and can no longer manage the pressure placed on it the internal material will bulge through. Clinical symtoms will occur once the disc bulge is associated with disc tear, degneration, and herniation.

Treatment Options for a Bulging Disc

Asymptomatic disc bulge does not need treatment. For symptomatic patients, innitial treatment should be conservative in nature. . Conservative treatments include physical therapy, acupuncture, chiropractic treatments, anti-inflammatory medications, muscle relaxants, DRX non-surgical manipulations, manipulations under anesthesia, or spinal injections.

If 6 weeks of conservative treatments fail to yield sufficient results, the patient is considered a surgical candidate. Prior to the surgery, a further work up for a precise diagnosis is necessary to determine if the patient has disc tear, degneration, herniation or other possible sources of pain. Depending on the diagnosis, a cervical or lumbar endoscopic discectomy would be helpful to achieve pain relief with minimal recovery time. During the procedure the painful tear, disc degeneation or herniaiton is vaporized with a laser or other micrio surgical equipment. For more details on our endoscopic discectomy procedure and to see if you would make a good candidate please click here.