“Stiffness and pain that flares without warning.”
The disc wall pushing outward under load. Common on imaging, and frequently blamed for pain it is not causing.
The annulogram distinguishes a bulge that leaks from one that is simply there.
Whatever the diagnosis on your report says, the treatable question is whether a disc is torn and leaking. An annulogram answers that directly — and a review of the MRI you already own is where it starts.
How the procedure worksA bulging disc is the disc wall pushing outward under load, usually broadly rather than at one point. It is among the most common findings on any spine MRI — and in many people it causes no pain at all.
What a bulging disc is
The outer ring extends beyond the edge of the vertebra, typically around much of its circumference. Unlike a herniation, no material has broken through. Bulges are common from the thirties onward and are often simply part of how a disc ages.
How it tends to feel
Often it does not. When a bulge is symptomatic, the pattern is stiffness, a dull ache in the low back or neck that flares with sitting and bending, and occasionally pain radiating into a limb if the bulge or an associated tear irritates a nerve root. The question is always whether the bulge is the cause or merely present.
What imaging shows — and misses
An MRI shows the bulge clearly and it will usually be reported. It does not show whether the ring beneath the bulge is torn and leaking — the distinction between a bulge that is a source of pain and one that is just there. The annulogram makes that distinction directly: a bulging disc that leaks is treated; one that does not is left alone.
How the FibraDisc Procedure addresses it
Where the annulogram shows a tear leaking from a bulging disc, fibrin sealant is placed into the tear through a needle. The bulge itself is not pushed back and nothing is removed; the target is the leak.
Fibrin sealant's use inside the disc is off-label; the published evidence is pilot and observational data; outcomes vary and are not guaranteed.
When it is not the answer
A bulge that is not leaking is not treated, whatever the report says. Pain that is actually coming from the facet joints, the sacroiliac joint, or muscle is a different problem. If the annulogram says the bulge is innocent, we will tell you — that is good news.
Questions about bulging disc
Usually not by itself. Many people have bulging discs and no symptoms. It becomes relevant when the disc is torn and leaking, or when the bulge narrows the space around a nerve — and imaging alone cannot always tell you which.
It is not right for everyone. We will say so.
Often a good fit
- Chronic low back or neck pain that has not resolved with conservative care
- A recent MRI showing disc degeneration, bulging, or herniation
- Pain after a failed spine surgery, including fusion
- You have been told fusion is the next step and want another option first
- You want to avoid hardware and preserve your own disc
Not a fit, or not yet
- No recent MRI — we cannot assess you without imaging
- Progressive weakness, foot drop, or loss of bladder or bowel control (seek care now)
- Active spinal infection or cancer involving the spine
- Severe spinal instability or high-grade slippage
- Expecting insurance to cover it — the procedure is self-pay
Is your bulging disc actually a torn disc?
A physician screens the MRI you already have and tells you in writing whether you appear to be a candidate — before you spend anything, least of all a flight.