The Difference Between a Bulging Disc and a Herniated Disc

There’s a difference between a bulging disc and a herniated disc. The disc, if you remember, is the cushion between vertebrae in your spine. A bulging disc is a disc that pushes out but doesn’t actually rupture the wall of the disc. A herniated disc is a disc that bulges toward the back of the spine and it does break through the disc wall. The outside wall of the disc is called the annulus fibrosis.

The back pain you feel with a herniated disc is due to the disc pressing on a nerve. You can actually feel the pain in your legs if it’s a lower back vertebrae that presses on the nerves that runs down your legs. Most herniated discs happen in the lower spine or lower back. When the sciatica nerve is pressured by a herniated disc, the pain can be intense all the way down the leg. There are lots of things the doctor can potentially recommend you do to relieve the pain. You can do exercises to strengthen the back, take anti-inflammatory medications or get steroid injections for example.