Bulging Disc Treatments: Injections, Pain Relief & More

A bulging disk can cause lower back pain and muscle weakness. If you have a bulging disk, your doctor can recommend treatments for the symptoms including pain relievers, exercise and injections.

Bulging Disc

• In between each of the vertebrae in your spine is a soft round disk that acts as cushions between the bones. When one of these intervertebral disks slips out of place, it is called a herniated or bulging disk.

Significance

• Intervertebral disks shrink and become less flexible over time. Bulging disks are more likely to occur in adults.

Injections

• One treatment for a bulging disk is injections of corticosteroids into your back near the herniated disk. These injections reduce inflammation and can relieve pain and other symptoms for months at a time.

Complications

• Potential side effects of injections for a bulging disk include decreased bone density and weakened muscles. To reduce the risk of complications, you can only receive injections a few times a year.

Considerations

• If injections are not controlling your symptoms of a bulging disk, your doctor could recommend more invasive treatment, like surgery to remove the protruding portion of the disk that is causing problems.