What is the difference between lumbar disc bulging and protrusion?

Many people do not understand the difference between lumbar disc bulging and herniation very well, and easily confuse the two. In fact, there is a difference. The clinical manifestation of lumbar disc bulging is lumbar muscle tension and varying degrees of lower back pain. Lumbar disc herniation refers to a series of symptoms caused by the protrusion of the lumbar disc nucleus pulposus compressing the surrounding nerve tissue.

1. Lumbar disc bulging :

It means that there is no obvious damage to the intervertebral disc, annulus fibrosus, and posterior longitudinal ligament. It is just that due to the tension of the waist muscles, the intervertebral disc is subjected to greater force, causing the posterior longitudinal ligament to bulge backwards. Its clinical manifestations are: tension in the lumbar muscles, and varying degrees of soreness and swelling in the lower back. Palpation and X-ray examination generally show signs of facet joint dislocation.

2. Lumbar disc herniation

Refers to a series of symptoms caused by the herniated nucleus pulposus of the lumbar intervertebral disc compressing the surrounding nerve tissue. Clinical statistics show that lumbar disc herniation is one of the most common diseases in orthopedic outpatient clinics and is also the most common cause of low back and leg pain.

3. Pay attention to correct care

1. During the acute phase, patients should rest on a hard bed for 2 to 3 weeks to reduce the burden on the lumbar spine and avoid sitting for long periods of time. Nurses should provide good care for daily life. Pay attention to keeping warm and avoid catching cold. Cold is an important cause of lumbar disc herniation. To avoid catching cold, you can apply hot compress to the waist and irradiate with a spectrometer.

2. Lie down on a hard bed and rest immediately. It is best to use a hard bed with a mattress of moderate thickness and hardness. The bed should be slightly lower so that the patient's feet can touch the ground when he sits up. If you are sleeping on a Simmons mattress now, it depends on the quality of your mattress. You should choose the kind that will not collapse when someone lies on it. If it is a genuine Tiantan brand mattress, it is also OK, because that is the kind of mattress I use.

3. After the patient's pain is relieved, start functional exercises of the waist and back muscles to strengthen the protective function of the waist and back muscles. Functional exercises include five-point and three-point exercises. The five-point method is: use the head, elbows and heels as support points, push your waist and hips upward, after the waist and back muscles are strengthened, you can switch to the three-point training method using the head and heels as support points. Exercise should be gradual and increased gradually to avoid fatigue.