The spine is a vital part of the human body. Just like the other organs, it has a specific function of its own. It is made up of bones called vertebrae.
Also, rubbery discs are stacked upon one another in the spine, which forms the spinal cord.
The spinal cord runs down the spinal canal. The rubbery discs are divided into two types. One is the Bulging disc, and other is the Herniated disc.
Key Takeaways
- Bulging discs occur when the disc protrudes beyond its normal boundaries and can cause pain and discomfort. In contrast, herniated discs occur when the disc ruptures and the inner material leaks out, potentially causing nerve damage.
- Bulging discs improve with rest and physical therapy, while herniated discs may require surgery or other medical intervention.
- Bulging discs are more common than herniated discs and are caused by age-related degeneration, while herniated discs can be caused by injury or trauma.
Bulging Disc vs Herniated Disc
In a bulging disk, the disk sags and looks like it is bulging outwards, while in a herniated disk, the outer covering of the disc has a hole or tear. Compared to a bulging disk, a herniated disk is more likely to cause pain because it goes farther and is more likely to irritate nerve roots.
A bulging disc, as the name suggests, appears like something bulging out. It is caused due to ageing issues. The symptoms of a bulging disc include pain in the legs or back.
This can also lead to other disc degeneration problems if not treated early. However, this is comparatively less painful and does not affect the entire circumference.
On the other hand, a herniated disc is otherwise known as a ruptured or slipped disc. It is because it results in a crack, which can travel into the nerve roots as well.
It is quite painful as it can go farther and result in cracks. Basically, a little part of soft inner cartilage shows through the crack, which gets caused by the tough outer layer.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Bulging Disc | Herniated Disc |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | When the disc bulges out of the spinal column, it is called a bulging disc. | When the disc gets ruptured or slipped, it is called a herniated disc. |
| Area of Effect | It affects only the outer layer of the cartilage. | It affects the outer as well as the inner layer of cartilage. |
| Cause | It is caused by wear and tear due to ageing. | It is caused by cracks formed due to any injury or ageing. |
| Pain | It is less painful in comparison. | It is more painful as it can get into nerve roots. |
| Treatment | Long term and short term treatments are available. | Treatment should be done at an earlier stage. |
What is Bulging Disc?
The spinal canal of the human body is stacked with vertebrae and rubbery discs. The condition when these discs are compressed results in a Bulging Disc. It is a degeneration related to ageing which continues to show symptoms gradually.
A bulging disc refers to a condition where a part of the disc in the spine bulges out. This situation occurs due to heavy compression of the disc between the bones because of ageing.
As these bones act as the modes of shock absorption, the damage in them affects the spinal cord too. A bulging disc occurs at the bottom part of the lumbar spine.
When the gel present in the outer layer of a disc starts to decrease and compress out with age, it is pushed out of the disc, which appears as a bulging substance.
It causes pain in a specific area as well as the spinal cord connected to the nerves. The type of treatment depends on the extent of severity and its location.
The symptoms of a bulging disc include back pain, walking issues, numbness in the legs, mobility of legs, knees and ankles reduced etc. However, in certain cases, there might be absolutely no symptoms visible at the initial stages.
What is Herniated Disc?
The spinal canal consists of the spinal cord, which is made of several bones. Because these bones do not rub against each other, there is a gel-like substance in between the bones.
This gel-like or rubbery substance is known as a disc. When the disc is pushed out due to any crack, a Herniated disc occurs.
A herniated disc is a condition where a part of the spine shows out from the outer layer of the spinal cord. This condition is also known as a slipped or ruptured disc.
It occurs when a crack arises in the outer cartilage due to some reason, which pushes out the soft inner substance through it. This can take place anywhere in the spine, irrespective of its severity.
With age, the flexibility of discs decreases, and as a result, they become more prone to wear and tear. Therefore, even when a small crack or tear arises in the disc, the gel comes out of it.
Various types of treatments are there, which depend upon the type and extent of damage caused.
The symptoms of this condition include severe pain in the arms and legs, numbness, weakness etc. Just like bulging discs, some cases of herniated discs do not show any symptoms initially.
An increase in body weight, genetics and smoking are some of the factors that can worsen the condition of a herniated disc.
Main Differences Between Bulging Disc and Herniated Disc
- In a bulging disc, the substance bulges out of the outer layer, while in a herniated disc, the disc has a crack.
- The bulging disc only affects the outer layer of cartilage, whereas herniation affects both the inner and outer layers.
- Bulging is caused by wear and tear, and herniated disc is caused by crack.
- A herniated disc can be more painful in comparison.
- Treatments for bulging discs are more easily effective.
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00296-005-0035-x
- https://europepmc.org/article/med/7584576
Last Updated : 17 August, 2023
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Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
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