How bad is a bulging disc in the neck?

Answer 1

Really bad. Consider this; every nerve ending is directly connected to the spine with the other end effecting an organ or other function. If a nerve is pinched or hindered in any way because of a bulging disc, your body will not function at it's best. It is like pinching the water hose, you need power to those organs so my best advice is to get to a Chiropractor as quickly as you can.

answerThat's like asking, how bad is a cut on the arm. There are various degrees of severity. Many people have disc problems but have no symptoms. Others have relatively small problems with very intense symptoms.

Whatever the situation, a chiropractor IS a must for dealing with a disc problem. Surgery should be a very last resort. Remember, you can't unboil a hard boiled egg. Surgery is always permanent.

And yes, if the spinal nerves are being compromised, then the organs that are at the end of those nerves are also being compromised. It may not seem like it, but it is a slow but severe problem to worry about.

Answer #3

Picture the disks in your spine as "shock absorbers" that look a lot like a hocky puck and are filled with a thick sticky fluid. Obviously, like everything else in the body they can gradually wear out [age] and begin to bulge out around the edges. This bulging can cause pain and be frustrating but AS LONG AS the disk doesn't bulge way out and begin pushing on a nerve [in other words, "herniate"]. The nerve has to herniate out at a specific angle to impinge [pinch] on a nerve. If you picture yourself looking down on the spine from above [with the stomach at 12 o'clock], the disk has to herniate between [generally] 4-5 and 6-7 in order to hit a nerve, resulting in a burning/electric shock/numbing sensation down the arm/leg the nerve travels down. About 70% of the nerves that herniate gradually retract and scar in place... It takes 3-8 weeks for this to occur. Once it's healed it's rare that it will occur again. If there is severe nerve damage there are times emergency surgery [within days] is needed!!

Imagine a herniated disk that is already pressing on a nerve, and additional force such as twisting or bending or pressure is applied to the spine in that area; the damage can certainly get much worse. So see a really good Orthopedic Spine Surgeon or Neurosurgeon IF you develop electric/burning pain running down an arm or leg or begin to lose use of that extremity.

Answer #4

I've just been researching my own bulging discs and, as much as I love my Chiropractor, manipulation of the spine is contra-indicated (do not do it) while the discs are inflamed.

Chiropractic is recommended to maintain good spinal alignment once the discs have healed, which may help to prevent further disc issues, but not as a treatment for bulging discs.