True bulging disc pain is rare but can be miserable when it occurs. This is due to the fact that a bulging disc can press on the nerve that exits from your spinal cord and travels very near the disc that usually sits between two of your vertebrae. It can happen in your neck or in your low back (rarely, it can happen in your mid-back). When it occurs in the low back, it is often after having bent forward, reached out for a load and twisted at your spine, your disc will bulge out from it’s fibrous casing that surrounds it. Or sometimes a disc can herniate (bulge) after traumatic compressive forces have been sustained. Sometimes, it is due to the repeated wear and tear of heavy labor or even gardening. No matter the origin, if you have a bulging disc you may be miserable or you may not feel anything at all. For the most part, bulging discs are a normal part of life. People with absolutely no low back pain have been shown to have bulging discs on MRI studies. And, sometimes, studies have shown that the protruding portion retracts back in. The good news for those in pain from a bulging disc is that Physical Therapy can usually alleviate the symptoms! Often, mechanical lumbar or cervical traction, promoting engagement of your body’s “natural corset” musculature, addressing muscles that have shortened over time and use and a handful of other techniques can relieve the severe nerve pain caused by a bulging disc.