Table of Contents
Can a bulging disc cause muscle tightness?
If you have a herniated disc or bulging disc in your neck (cervical spine), then you may experience: neck pain. muscle tightness or cramping in your neck. pain that radiates (or travels) down your arm(s) (this is also called referred pain or cervical radiculopathy)
How do I know if my bulging disc has herniated?
Symptoms
- Arm or leg pain. If your herniated disk is in your lower back, you’ll typically feel the most pain in your buttocks, thigh and calf.
- Numbness or tingling. People who have a herniated disk often have radiating numbness or tingling in the body part served by the affected nerves.
- Weakness.
Is there a difference between a bulging disc and a herniated disc?
“A bulging disc is like letting air out of a car tire. The disc sags and looks like it is bulging outward. With a herniated disc, the outer covering of the disc has a hole or tear. This causes the nucleus pulposus (jelly-like center of the disc) to leak into the spinal canal.”
Can a bulging disc cause permanent nerve damage?
One of the most significant complications of a bulging disc is permanent nerve damage. Without treatment, compressed nerve roots in the spine can be permanently damaged, leading to chronic pain, weakness, and loss of sensation.
Is a disc herniation permanent?
Once a healthy disc herniates, it will never return to its normal anatomical state—the disease or injury is permanent in nature.
Can you massage a bulging disc back into place?
Deep Tissue Massage: There are more than 100 types of massage, but deep tissue massage is an ideal option if you have a herniated disc because it uses a great deal of pressure to relieve deep muscle tension and spasms, which develop to prevent muscle motion at the affected area.
What causes tight erector spinae muscles and back pain?
The most common weaknesses I see that contribute to tight erector spinae muscles and back pain are the large latissimus dorsi, transverse abdominis, gluteus maximus and gluteus medius muscles. These larger muscles are designed to provide strength, power and support for our daily movements and activities.
What causes a bulging disc in the spine?
Our spinal vertebrae contain gel-filled discs in between them which act as shock absorbers along with facilitating movement of the spine. Any damage or injury to the spine causes a disc to bulge, where it gets pushed backwards into the spinal canal or often bulges on either side of the spinal canal.
What happens if you don’t treat erector spinae weakness?
If this goes on for too long without correcting the weakness the erector spinae muscles become “rods of steel” that limit spinal movement and cause back pain. This can also lead to pain and problems in other areas like the hips and knees.
What causes a herniated disc to develop?
A bulging or herniated pathologic disc may develop as a result of the accumulation of the same physical stressors that lead to disc degeneration. Another physical stressor that is especially contributory to bulging and herniated discs is the posture of spinal flexion.