A bulging disk causes problems for the patient because it is right under the nerve root and puts pressure on the nerve. The result of that pressure is pain in the back and referred pain in other areas of the body, such as the arms or legs.
Physical Trauma
Many times an individual can suffer a bulging or herniated disk because of the physical trauma caused in an auto accident or sports injury. When one car slams into a another, the force of the blow may be enough to play havoc with the spine and cause one of the disks to bulge or herniate. The same can happen in football or hockey. These heavy contacts sports force the athlete to absorb a lot of physical punishment. The usual spot is the lumbar region, but a disk can also bulge or herniate in the cervical (neck) region as well.
Awkward Stretch
You may have felt a twinge of back pain when you have stretched awkwardly for an item on a shelf or reached for an item that was significantly heavier than you had anticipated. The awkward stretch can cause the soft substance in the middle of the disk (nucleus pulposus) to bulge or herniate and cause pain in the back and other areas.
Aging Process
As you get older, the disks in your spine lose much of their pliability and moisture. This "drying out" process takes its toll on disks and leaves them more vulnerable to bulging or herniating. This aging process leads to degenerative disk disease. That will first result in an overall stiffness in the back and then lead to significant pain in that area and then it will radiate to other areas of the body.
