Bulging discs is a spinal problem that arises due to age-related issues and bad posture. The symptoms may progress gradually and make the situation worse with time.
What is a bulging disc?
A bulging disc is a problem in shock-absorbing spinal discs. Every disc resembles a jelly-filled doughnut with a spongy inner layer and firm outer layer. The pressure created by daily activities like walking, sitting, standing, and lifting gets equally distributed across the discs. But repetitive movements, bad posture, and lack of physical strength of the muscles can cause unusually high or uneven pressure on these discs. When the pressure becomes too large in one part, the inner liquid gets pushed into the outer layer, which causes a bulge. And this is called a bulging disc.
Is the bulging disc a serious problem?
A bulging disc can increase the chances of a herniated disc that is a much more serious issue, which can be painful, affect the mobility of a person, and restrict the daily functioning and life quality. Bulging discs can also result in numbness or weakness in the legs, followed by poor bladder control.
Causes of a bulging disc
There are some causes for the onset of the bulging set that are the following:
- Prolonged sitting, especially in bad posture it puts more pressure on the spinal discs.
- Normal wear and tear in the discs due to age.
- Repetitive bending, twisting, and lifting, especially if it is done in poor form.
- Heavy lifting due to stress causes the disc to bulge out.
- It can also be caused by osteoporosis
- Trauma from unfortunate incidents like a car accident
Are there any symptoms?
If the problem of a bulging disc hasn’t yet reached the last stage or the stage of herniation, there might be no symptoms involved at all. You may also not feel the pain because it hasn’t reached a certain level of severity, which often makes it difficult to diagnose before it becomes severe.
Usually, bulging discs create pressure on the nerves, giving rise to a variety of sensations. A bulging disc may cause a tingling sensation, moderate pain with numbness, depending on how severe the situation is. In most cases, when the problem is near herniation, one can feel the following things:
- Tingling in hands, fingers, arms, neck, and shoulders.
- Pain in the thighs, feet, buttocks, and lower spine
- Difficulty walking
The symptoms need to be evaluated medically as soon as possible, as they can get worse.
Treatments
There are different types of tratamiento de disco abultado, including surgical and non-surgical. No single treatment is suitable for every patient. Some treatment guidelines can help relieve the symptoms.
The treatment involves the assessment of the entire spine and not just one part. As every patient’s condition is unique, there must be a customized plan based on the individual’s needs.
Conservative methods
The first thing you can do is to explore the conservative methods of the treatment first. Doctors usually began with this type of treatment. As the bulging disc shows improvement with time, the initial treatment focuses on pain management while monitoring the situation closely.
The common methods of this bulging disc treatment involve the following things:
- Anti-inflammatory medicines
- Epidural steroid injections
- Physical therapy
- Exercise
- Lifestyle changes like losing weight, improving posture, and quitting smoking
Once all these methods prove to be unsuccessful, then surgical methods are adopted.
Surgical method
This method is seen as the last resort for the bulging disc treatment by many doctors, mainly because it is an invasive process, which requires a large muscle-tearing incision, and hospitalization for a long period.
Endoscopic discectomy is the least invasive surgical method with a high satisfaction rate among patients.
To get the most suitable treatment, you must consult your doctor and discuss everything.