Bulging discs and herniated discs sound like similar problems.
While they do have some similarities, they also have important differences, including what causes them.
What Is a Bulging Disc?
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The annulus is made of fibrous material organized concentrically in a criss-cross pattern.
However, as the name suggests, bulging discs extend past this boundary.
Migration is the movement of the disc inside the annulus fibrosus.
The study looked at how bulges got bigger or smaller depending on the position of the spine.
The amount of disc migration is associated with the degree of degenerative changes present in the spine.
Generally, a disc bulge is not more than 3 millimeters (mm).
In general, such changes may or may not causediscogenic pain.
A small bulge in your disc that shows up on an MRI may actually be a normal finding.
In other words, a bulging disc may simply be a slight variation in typically described anatomy.
Bulging Disc Causes
Bulging discs may be due to a number of things.
Perhaps the most common is age-related degenerative changes that occur in the spine.
While bulging discs may cause pain, they don’t always.
Herniated discs are usually caused either by degenerative changes in the spine and disc or by an injury.
Similar to bulging discs, herniated discs are not always symptomatic.
Whether they are or not generally depends on whether the leaked disc material makes contact with nerve tissue.
A Word From Verywell
A herniated disc and a bulging disc form differently.
It is hard to know which one of these you have based on symptoms alone.
It’s important to get a diagnosis and treatment to alleviate discomfort and prevent the condition from worsening.
