Bulging Disc Can Be Healed
What is Bulging Disc?

Bulging disc is a degenerative spinal disorder that occurs when the vertebral disk shifts out of its normal position and extends outside the space it should normally occupy. This is a condition related to the spine, usually the lumbar or lower back.

Loss of water content in the vertebral disk due to age is the main cause responsible for occurrence of bulging disk. Due to the loss of water content, the intervertebral disk starts loosing its spongy nature and degeneration occurs. It is a condition that occurs usually in spinal or lumbar region, lower back and in few cases witnessing with neck region.

Symptoms

The location of symptoms will vary, based on the region of the spine where the nerve pressure occurrs. In case of bulging disk, the nature of the symptoms usually depends upon the precise location of the affected intervertebral disc in the spine. A bulging disc in the neck can cause pain, tingling, and numbness that branch out to the shoulders, arms, chest, hands, and fingers. In the thoracic area of the spine, a bulging disc may cause pain to radiate anywhere from the chest to the upper thigh. When located in the lumbar spine, a bulging disc can cause pain to travel from the lower back to the buttocks, legs, and feet. A bulging disc located in the lower back also might lead to the development of sciatica. The sciatic nerve runs from either side of the base of the spinal cord, past the buttocks and down through each leg. If the sciatic nerve is disturbed, the symptoms typically arise in the legs and feet.

Causes

Age - as we get older the discs start to lose water and elasticity, thus becoming weaker.
Injury - Due to accidents, weight lifting, a slip and fall, or simply moving your body in the wrong way can put stress on your back and neck.
Genetics – If you have a family member with a history of spinal problems, you may have a higher chance of developing a bulging disc.
Lifestyle choices – Smoking cigarettes emits toxins into the body that contribute to the breakdown of disc cartilage. A lack of exercise, poor diet and weight gain are other factors. Posture and muscle imbalances – Sitting or standing with poor posture can create muscle imbalances and elevate the risk of developing a bulging disk.

Western medicine Treatment

Treatments for a bulging disk depends completely upon the condition, the location of the disc and the severity of the bulge. Some of the treatments include:

Rest
Ice therapy
Anti inflammatory medications
Analgesics
Pain Killers
Physical Therapy

Adopted from Wei Laboratories, Inc.