A bulging disc / herniated disc can be one of the most stubborn conditions to heal and experience relief from. The real key with this condition is that you have to have a solid understanding of how it works.
This article will discuss what a bulging disc / herniated disc is, what causes it, symptoms commonly caused by it, as well as treatments that are normally recommended for healing.
The discs of the spine are cushions that separate each set of bones in the spine. Their main purpose is to absorb shock so the bones do not get damaged when you move.
Each disc of the spine is composed of a strong outer covering called the annulus, and a soft jelly center called the nucleus. When a person has a bulging disc / herniated disc, the strong outer covering tears, and the jelly in the center begins to push through where the disc is injured. This causes a bulge in the disc.
This tearing of the annulus is often caused by an injury (such as a car accident, or a fall), but may also have a genetic component. In other words, if you have other members of your family who suffer with back conditions, you may have a genetic weakness in the outer layer of the disc, which would predispose you to developing bulging vertebral discs.
What’s interesting about the discs of the spine is that they are designed to not feel pain, which sounds odd if you’ve ever experienced bulging discs in back, because you know they can be very painful.
So, what causes the pain and disability that is associated with bulging discs in back? Well, if you look at the spine, you will see that the spinal nerves are located directly behind each disc of the spine.
What causes herniated disc pain is actually pressure on the spinal nerves from the bulging disc / herniated disc. Not only is pain common with this problem, it is also common to experience other symptoms that you may have never associated with your back.
The spinal nerves control everything in the body, so if a nerve has pressure on it from a bulging disc / herniated disc, whatever it is in control of will begin to malfunction. For example, a bulging disc / herniated disc in the neck will typically cause pain in the neck, as well as in the arms, chest, hands, and can even lead to ringing in the ears, blurred vision, or even problems with the thyroid gland (leading to a feeling of fatigue and weight problems).
bulging discs in back in the middle back will lead to symptoms such as middle back pain, chest pain, pain traveling around the rib cage, shoulder pain, and even headaches.
In the lower back, it’s common to experience not only low back pain, but also pain traveling into the legs, numbness in the feet, and even problems with the bowel and bladder (such as constipation, diarrhea, or losing control of your bladder).
So, what can you do for relief from herniated disc pain? Most doctors would prescribe medications (usually pain relievers and muscle relaxers), physical therapy, pain injections (such as cortisone and epidurals), and even surgery in the worst cases.
These treatments, however, are usually not as effective as we’d like them to be. The reason for this is because they all focus on numbing the nerve (which makes sense for pain relief), but they do not do anything to actually heal the bulging disc / herniated disc. Because of this, most traditional treatments will only provide temporary relief, and the pan will invariably return.
After working with thousands of patients suffering with a bulging disc / herniated disc, I can tell you that there are a number of treatments that are more effective, but it is really a combination of treatments that provide the best results. Many doctors are not aware of this, which is why the success rate for this problem is very low typically.
If you would like to learn more about the most effective treatments for a bulging disc / herniated disc, as well as the combination of those treatments that I recommend for the best results, you can also click here (bulging disc / herniated disc).