You have probably been to the GP, had a CT or MRI scan and been told that you have a disc bulge. Statistically speaking there are lots of people that have disc bulges but have no pain. But this is most likely not you, but it is what we aim to do with you in Physiotherapy. Yes, you can have a disc bulge and no pain!!
Disc pathology comes in 3 types, a bulge, a protrusion, and a herniation. Imagine your disc is an onion ring with a piece of jelly in the middle. With a bulge the outer onion ring is stretched by the jelly, with a protrusion it is stretched a little more with some slight tearing, and with a protrusion it is stretched to the point it fails and the jelly bit starts to leak out.
In some cases, these bulges can touch on a nerve (thecal sack) and sometimes they can even touch on the spinal column. Again, in a lot of cases these findings on imaging are inconsistent with your pain, and even though you have them, we at Logan Physiotherapy have seen many cases get a full recovery.
Another common way to explain this type of pathology is that it is the degenerative process of the spine and in many cases is just the ageing process. So, be positive about your disc bulge. Do not listen to everything the media or your friends have told you about disc problems, in a lot of cases there is good treatment option available that can get your back to living the lifestyle you want.
