Can Your Bulging Disks Heal Themselves?

Bulging disks are always caused by something.  The cause may be your posture or some other reason.  But the good news is that backs heal all the time!

Sometimes just taking the pressure off the bulging disks can do the trick.  Sometimes doctors will send you to physical therapy and the therapist will try to help you with your posture or weak legs or whatever is causing your back pain.

Here’s how bodies work:

Muscles move bones and disks and that’s why working with the muscles can help the disk move back into place.

Actually, most often the pain is actually caused by muscles rather than the disks.  The disks are just what the doctor can see in tests but the muscles may be the actual cause pain or problem.

Almost ALL of us after a certain age have things that show up on tests.  But we don’t all have pain.

I have been trained that bulging disks CAN heal themselves.

And they DO heal themselves.

And I have seen that many times with people who had disk bulges in their backs.

My understanding is that even disks that have ruptured can heal over time.  And if you are over 50 years old, your disks are tougher and much less likely to rupture.  That a benefit of growing older that you didn’t expect, right?  🙂

You will have to take some action to help yourself heal.

Sometimes doctors will put you into physical therapy to help take away the cause of the bulging disk but you are the one who has to do the work.

For instance, one side of your body may be weaker than the other and the physical therapist will try to help you get that in balance.  Depending on your circumstances, sometimes you may have to learn how to be your own ‘physical therapist.’

So, remember, bodies change all the time and they heal  themselves, too.  🙂

You really DO have a smart body!

One more thing:

IF there is a bone chip or spur pressing on a nerve then the surgeon may want to remove that piece of bone.

But almost all of the time it is muscles that push or pull on your disk or disks and cause it to shift somewhat or bulge.  That’s good news because your pain can heal when the cause of the bulging disk is removed.  Take care of the muscles–make them happy again–and the bulging disk may just slip back into its space.

There can be many postural causes for back pain and bulging disks.  You may need a skilled massage or physical therapist to help you figure out the cause.

Once you discover what makes your muscles so unhappy that they cause bulging disks, you’ll have good clues about how to help them heal.

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2 thoughts on “Can Your Bulging Disks Heal Themselves?”

  1. I had an MRI a year ago that said I had a bulging disc in my lower back. Have been in constant pain for over a year and a half. The pain is on the left side buttocks, hip and down leg. I am seeing a physician now that gave me steroid injections, which gave a little relief. I started physical therapy a few weeks ago and feel I may be slightly better. Most of my pain comes from sitting at the computer at work or sitting while driving in car. Have you seen healing in people fitting my description and how much time should I give myself in PT before I seek other options? Help! Any advise for someone who feels like she is not being heard and doesn’t know why this has gone on for so long without a fix? How long should I stick with the PT?

  2. Hi Lee, I’m sorry for my delay in getting back to you. I didn’t see this message before just now. Yes, I have seen people get better who have similar issues. By now, the PT has probably let you “move on” unless you started to have good results.

    Gut feeling: Try this: Put a pad under one of your sit bones. I think it will be the left side. See if that reduces your discomfort. If it doesn’t, then try it on the other side. I don’t know what thickness you should use but perhaps a pad of 1/2″ thickness would be a good place to start.

    I suspect the muscle that’s to blame for the pain on your left side on is the RIGHT side of your waist. It’s called the Quadratus Lumborum or QL. (There is one on each side but I’m thinking the right side is the problem right now.) A skilled massage therapist will be able to press his or her thumb or a small tool into that muscle to help is relax. When it relaxes and stops pulling on your spine, the symptoms on your left side can start to go away.

    Again, Lee, I apologize for my delayed answer and I hope that you may already be feeling better!

    Kathryn Merrow
    The Pain Relief Coach

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