Living with a bulging disc in your lower back can be painful, but is unfortunately a common problem that many people must deal with. In fact, millions of Americans are either currently suffering from a bulging disc, or have experienced a bulging disc at one point in their lives. If you have been experiencing unexplained symptoms of pain, numbness, tingling, muscle weakness, or muscle spasms in your lower back, buttocks, legs, or feet, you may have a bulging disc in your back. Fortunately, though, there is treatment available for those living with a bulging disc. If you think a bulging disc might be what is ailing you, see your doctor and tell him or her about your symptoms.

The Focal Point of Weight Distribution in the Back

The lower back is the most common site where people experience a bulging disc. This is due to the fact that much of our bodyweight resides in the upper body, and the main support structure for the upper body is the spine. Our legs help to absorb some of the weight that the upper body imposes on our frames, but the weight is mainly supported by the spine, specifically the lumbar (lower) spine. The lumbar spine is seen as a focal point for weight distribution because it is toward the bottom of the upper body and has to support more weight than other parts of the spine. Additionally, it may seem as though our bodies are more at rest when seated, but the truth is that when we sit, our legs do not support any of the weight of the upper body, and thus the lumbar spine receives additional stress. The stress placed on the spine takes its toll over time and flattens out the discs that reside between the vertebrae. As the spine ages, the intervertebral discs also dehydrate and lose their flexibility. The weakening, flattening, and stiffening of the discs leaves them vulnerable to bulging.

Sciatica as a Result of a Bulging Disc in the Back

It only seems normal that a bulging disc in the back would cause pain in the back, but how does could that same bulging disc send muscle weakness into your right foot? The answer to this question is the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve is the largest single nerve in the body, stemming along the spinal cord in the lumbar region of the spine and extending down into each leg. This one nerve provides sensation to most of the lower body. When the sciatic nerve is constricted or irritated, it can send symptoms of pain, burning, numbness, tingling, muscle weakness, and muscle spasms down into the lower back, buttocks, legs, and even into the feet. These symptoms are collectively known as sciatica. So, how does sciatica tie in with a bulging disc in the lower back? When a disc in the lower back bulges it can potentially bump into the sciatic nerve, constricting or irritating the nerve, possibly causing sciatica.

Patrick Foote is the Director of eBusiness at Laser Spine Institute, the leader in endoscopic spine surgery. Laser Spine Institute specializes in safe and effective outpatient procedures for the treatment of bulging discs and several other spinal conditions.

Patrick Foote is the Director of eBusiness at Laser Spine Institute, the leader in endoscopic spine surgery. Laser Spine Institute specializes in safe and effective outpatient procedures for bulging discs and other spinal conditions. http://www.laserspineinstitute.com/back_problems/bulging_disc/

Author Bio: Patrick Foote is the Director of eBusiness at Laser Spine Institute, the leader in endoscopic spine surgery. Laser Spine Institute specializes in safe and effective outpatient procedures for the treatment of bulging discs and several other spinal conditions.

Category: Medicines and Remedies
Keywords: Bulging disc