Could Your Low Back Pain Be a Disc?
Your spine is a complex network of muscles, nerves and bones that requires proper protection. That protection comes in the way of discs that act as shock absorbers between each of your spine's vertebrae. Unfortunately, a disc injury can often be the cause of lower back pain as well as numbness or tingling in your legs.
What is a Bulging Disc?
A bulging disc occurs when the discs begin to move out of its proper placement and starts to break through its tougher cartilage layer. A small portion of the tough outer layer of the disk begins to protrude out of place with a bulging disc. While a bulging disc can happen anywhere along your spine, many individuals suffer from bulging discs in the lower lumbar area, often contributing to new or worsening low back pain.
Is There a Difference Between a Bulging and Herniated Disc?
The terms bulging and herniated discs are often used interchangeably. However, they are actually two different conditions.
Where they are similar is that they both involve the spinal disc moving out of its proper placement. However, where a bulging disc only involves the disc's outermost layer, a herniated disc involves the outer layer cracking open, allowing some of the soft, sponge-like center to protrude through, causing the compression of surrounding nerves.
2 Additional Signs You May Have a Bulging Disk
While most indications of a lower lumbar bulging disk involve feeling new or unexplained low back pain, many people don't experience any obvious signs of the condition. So, if you are not experiencing any noticeably different pain (or any pain at all), then you will want to keep your eye out for these additional symptoms:
Numbness/Tingling
Whether you're experiencing pain or not, you'll want to keep a close eye on how your muscles are feeling. That's because many patients report feeling some level of numbness and/or tingling that radiates down their legs. This may be due to a bulging disk in the lower lumbar occasionally pressing against the surrounding nerve bundles.
Muscle Weakness
Now, if you aren't feeling numbness or tingling, but you are noticing yourself stumbling more often while walking or having a difficult time moving from a sitting position to a standing one, then this may also be a sign of a bulging disc in the lower lumbar area.
Treat Your Low Back Pain at Preferred Family Chiropractic
Since bulging discs do often put pressure on the nerves in your back, it's not uncommon for you to experience low back pain as a result. However, there could be several other reasons why you're experiencing this pain.
If you are suffering from acute or chronic low back pain, then schedule your appointment today by calling (352) 536-1300 and let us help you identify and treat the cause of your pain.
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Chiropractic
Natural Pain Treatment
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