Does a bulging disc qualify for disability?

A VA rating for a herniated or a bulging disc will not automatically qualify you for disability benefits, but it may be able to be used as evidence to back up your disability claim. You can qualify for both VA disability benefits and Social Security disability benefits.

Can you work with a bulging disc?

During recovery, a person with a disc herniation should avoid heavy lifting, unexpected back strain, or repetitive rigorous activity. All exercises that produce discomfort or feel like they are making the pain worse should be avoided.

How much is a bulging disc worth?

The average settlement value for a bulging disc in a personal injury lawsuit is about $15,000 to $30,000. The median jury award in bulging disc cases is $31,000. Bulging disc cases have a lower average settlement value when compared to herniated disc cases.

How serious is a bulging disc?

A bulging disk can push against the spinal cord and nerve roots, leading to severe pain and problems with mobility. Treatment may include a combination of medication, physical therapy, and self-care. In severe cases, a person may need surgery.

How much disability will I get for a herniated disc?

VA Disability Ratings for Herniated Discs

20% – Veterans who have had episodes that last for at least 2 weeks, but less than 4 weeks, in the past 12 months, may be able to qualify for this rating. 40% – Having episodes that last for at least 4 weeks but less than 6 weeks in the past 12 months.

Can A Herniated Disc Qualify for SSDI? | Citizens Disability

How long will I be off work with a bulging disc?

Treatment with rest, pain medication, spinal injections, and physical therapy is the first step to recovery. Most people improve in 6 weeks and return to normal activity. If symptoms continue, surgery may be recommended.

Which is worse bulging or herniated disk?

Herniated discs are considered more severe than bulging discs because they put significant pressure on nearby nerves, which can cause intense pain, inflammation and difficulties with movement.

Is L4 L5 disc bulge serious?

Most importantly, an L4-L5 disc bulge can lead to prolonged pain and other, more serious conditions like spondylolisthesis if you delay treatment. Spondylolisthesis is a condition in which a vertebra shifts or slips, and can cause significant pain that may require surgery to fix.

What happens if a bulging disc goes untreated?

A severe case of a bulging disc can cut off nerve impulses, even causing permanent nerve damage. Additionally, you may experience sharp paints, incontinence, bowel movement irregularity, or even partial paralysis as the issue worsens.

How do they fix bulging discs?

Treatment often includes physical therapy, which will focus on exercises to strengthen your back. In some cases, spinal injections of steroids may be recommended to relieve pain. This may be followed by physical therapy that aims to strengthen her core muscles. In other cases, a bulging disc may require surgery.

Is a bulging disk the same as a herniated disk?

"A bulging disc is like letting air out of a car tire. The disc sags and looks like it is bulging outward. With a herniated disc, the outer covering of the disc has a hole or tear. This causes the nucleus pulposus (jelly-like center of the disc) to leak into the spinal canal."

Is a bulging disc a soft tissue injury?

Soft tissue injuries include: back, neck, shoulder sprains, strains, whiplash, herniated discs, bulging discs, and other types of injuries to muscle and tendons. These muscle injuries can be painfully disabling and may greatly impact your quality of life.

Can a bulging disc be caused by a car accident?

The back trauma sustained in a car accident will often cause a herniated disc, also known as a slipped or ruptured disc. Spinal injuries, like herniated discs and bulging discs, are frequently caused by car accidents, premises liability accidents, as well as other types of accidents.

What back problems qualify for disability?

What Back Conditions Qualify for Disability? The spine disorders that qualify for disability include herniated discs, nerve root compression, degenerative disc disease. To get disability with back pack, you must meet one of the back conditions in the SSA's list of impairments that qualify for disability.

Can a bulging disc get worse?

Do disc bulges get worse over time? Unfortunately if disc bulges are left untreated, and if the abnormal spinal stresses that caused them continue, they will often worsen over time. For the disc bulge or herniated disc to have any possibility of recovery, the instigating stress must be minimized.

Can a bulging disc heal after 2 years?

After 2 years: 76 people out of 100 who had surgery had no symptoms or almost no symptoms. This means that 24 still had some symptoms. 69 people out of 100 who had non-surgical treatment had no symptoms or almost no symptoms.

What makes a bulging disc worse?

The pain from a herniated disc usually is worse when you are active and gets better when you are resting. Coughing, sneezing, sitting, driving, and bending forward may make the pain worse. The pain gets worse when you make these movements because there is more pressure on the nerve.

Do cortisone shots work for bulging discs?

Corticosteroid injections can reduce inflammation and can be effective when delivered directly into the painful area. Unfortunately, the injection does not make a herniated disc smaller; it only works on the spinal nerves by flushing away the proteins that cause swelling.

Can a bulging disc cause chronic pain?

Common Causes of Chronic Back Pain

The most common causes include: Arthritis of the spine —the gradual thinning of the cartilage inside the spine. Spinal stenosis —narrowing of the spinal canal that may lead to nerve pain. Disc problems, such as a herniated or bulging disc.

What are the symptoms of L4-L5 nerve damage?

Common symptoms and signs include: Sharp pain, typically felt as a shooting and/or burning feeling that originates in the lower back and travels down the leg in the distribution of a specific nerve, sometimes affecting the foot. Numbness in different parts of the thigh, leg, foot, and/or toes.

Can bulging disc cause leg pain?

A herniated disk, which can occur in any part of the spine, most often occurs in the lower back. Depending on where the herniated disk is, it can result in pain, numbness, or weakness in an arm or leg. Many people have no symptoms from a herniated disk.

Can a bulging disc cause hip pain?

Most lower spine problems are caused by a herniated disk that presses on nerves in the spinal column. This produces the pain known as sciatica, which can be felt in the hip. You may have a herniated disk if pain: Is limited to your back, buttocks or hip.

Does an MRI show a bulging disc?

MRI scan is the best non-invasive test available to find herniated and bulging discs and annular tears. Because the spatial resolution of spinal anatomy can be defined to 0.5mm with an MRI scan, doctors can identify with over 95% accuracy the herniated discs in the spine.

Is walking good for a bulging disc?

Walking is an excellent choice for patients with herniated discs, as it stimulates blood flow and oxygen to the cells. It also helps keep your discs hydrated, which is important for healing.

What is L4 L5 disc bulge?

The L4-L5 spinal segment is a common cause of acute and chronic lower back pain (backaches). An L4-L5 disc bulge can impinge nerves that run down the legs, causing sciatic-like symptoms. A slipped disc is one of the most common causes of a pinched nerve.