Bulging Disc Treatment

Anyone living with a bulging disc will tell you that it can be one of the most frustrating health conditions to deal with.  The good news is that there are many effective bulging disc treatments available today. 

This article will discuss the most common treatments that are recommended for a bulging disc, as well as some simple things you can do from home to start experiencing relief. 

But before we get into those details, we first need to have a discussion of what this condition is all about.  This part of the article may be a little dry for some, but believe me when I say that it is very important for a good understanding of how these treatments work and why your doctor may recommend them. 

There are 24 vertebrae in the spine, and each set of bones except for the first bone in the neck have a disc separating them.  These discs are very special, because they not only separate the bones, but they also act as shock absorbers for the spine. 

Each spinal disc is made up of a strong outer covering called the annulus and a soft jelly center called the nucleus.  The nucleus of the disc is particularly important because this is where the discs will store oxygen and nutrients for proper healing. 

This will become a very important point when we discuss bulging disc treatments, because one of the most important facts about the discs that make them very difficult to heal is that they do not receive a very good blood supply.  Because the body normally depends on the blood to bring nutrients and oxygen for healing, the nucleus is especially significant. 

A bulging disc occurs when the outer covering is damaged and the jelly in the center of the disc begins to shift into the weak area.  This creates a bulge in the wall of the disc, which is where this condition gets its name. 

Interestingly enough, though, the pain from a bulging disc does not come from the disc itself.  In fact, the spinal discs are designed to not feel pain sensation, which makes sense when you consider their function of being shock-absorbers.  If you could feel them, you would be in pain with every movement of your spine. 

What actually causes the pain is the nerves that are located right behind each disc.  When the disc bulges, it tends to bulge right where these nerves are located and will apply pressure on the nerve. 

The nerves are very sensitive, which is why this condition can cause such severe pain and disability.  In fact, you will find that the symptoms from a bulging disc can vary quite a bit because of where these nerves travel to within the body. 

For example, a bulging disc in the lower back will often lead to symptoms in the legs, and even problems with the organs of the abdomen (such as problems with the bowel and bladder).  All of this can occur because the nerves of the lower back will control these areas of the body. 

So, now that we’ve discussed the important background on this topic, let’s discuss the bulging disc treatments that are available as well as some home care instructions. 

Most physicians will recommend medications (usually a combination of muscle relaxers and pain relievers), physical therapy, pain injections (such as cortisone and epidurals), and surgery in the worst cases. 

These treatments are often not as effective as we would like, however, because their main focus is to calm the aggravated nerve down.  This approach will often provide temporary relief, but if you do nothing to heal the injured disc, the pain will tend to return. 

So, how do you get that to happen if these bulging disc treatments do not work for you?  Well, it’s actually a combination of treatments that I have found to be successful with my patients.  In fact, I’m going to give you a few simple things you can do from home to start experiencing relief, and then I will give you a resource for further information. 

The first tip I would give you is to use ice for relief.  Although this sounds simple, this is often the one thing that people do wrong with this condition, and it will dramatically slow your healing if you do this wrong. 

For best results, I recommend that you use real ice, apply the ice over the injured disc (even if your pain travels – you need to get to the source of the problem), and leave it there for 15 minutes.  Then remove the ice for 1 hour and repeat the treatment as many times during the day as you can, making sure you give yourself an hour break between treatments. 

This will numb the aggravated nerve, and is usually the fastest way to experience relief.  The key, though, is consistency – it will take 3 or 4 treatments before you experience any relief, and it usually takes about 3 days of consistent treatments before you experience considerable relief. 

My next tip should not be started until you begin to experience relief from the ice.  This is a simple exercise utilizing a therapy ball.  Simply sit on the ball and gently bounce up and down for 4 or 5 minutes a day.  This exercise will pump every disc in the spine, which pumps fresh oxygen and nutrients into the nucleus of the disc for healing. 

Remember how we discussed earlier that this is the major concern with healing a disc – the fact that there isn’t a good blood supply.  The only way to get new oxygen and nutrients into the disc for healing is by physically pumping the disc, and that’s what this exercise does. 

If you would like to learn more about the most effective bulging disc treatments, as well as the combination of treatments that I have found to be the most successful, you can click here for the full details.

Did you find this article helpful? Here are some other related articles and resources you may also find useful:

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