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Can Bulging Discs Go Back Into Place?

Many people suffer from bulging or herniated spinal discs. Discs are flexible sacs that reside in between the vertebrae in your back. They cushion the spine and help prevent injury. Sometimes, for many different reasons, the discs can become damaged and will bulge out from their normal location, impinging on nerves and cause great amounts of pain.

  1. Statistics

    • Previous to now, the most accepted treatment for bulging discs was surgery. Several different techniques have been employed, all with the aim of keeping the offending disc from aggravating nerves and causing pain. Recent studies now, though, show that up to 60 percent of bulging discs will respond positively to conservative therapy, a much higher number than previously thought.

    Best Chances for Regression

    • Bulging discs that are relatively large and have occurred recently provide the best candidates for targeted conservative therapy, through a combination of medications, chiropractic therapies, and physical therapies. Studies also suggest that lumbar herniations have a greater chance of resolving than cervical or neck herniations.

    Mechanisms for Reabsorption

    • One particular study showed that when a disc collapses and bulges, the body sends macrophages, or specialized white blood cells, to attack the disc and actually digest the material. This process breaks the disc down and reduces its overall size and impact on the sensitive nerves.

    Chiropractic Support

    • Chiropractic doctors have also reported an increase in the number of patients who have experienced improvements in their conditions with manual manipulations targeted at keeping the spine in alignment and reducing the pressure on damaged discs.

    Clinical Results

    • Patients are responding positively as well. Reports of lessening back pain and numbness are reported in many patients choosing conservative therapy over surgery. And their MRIs are backing up their claims. Some discs are reabsorbed completely while others reduce in size significantly enough to mitigate clinical symptoms.

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