Disc Bulge Reframing

Disc bulge education should add the context that improvement is possible and imaging findings do not always equal pain. Similar imaging findings can occur in people without symptoms, so imaging findings do not always equal pain. Important red flags for disc bulges include bowel or bladder function loss, leg weakness, and sensation loss. Disc bulge reframing should validate the medical finding rather than deny the bulging disc. A severe disc bulge diagnosis should be acknowledged while adding context about prognosis and conservative care when serious neurological signs are absent.