Question
I fell a few yrs.ago and was diagnosed with a bulging disc in my lower back and neck.Lately I have started having this pulsating pain that radiates from my back throughout my body to my chest.Can this be my discs rupturing?I was told it could happen any time.

Answer
Dear Bonnie,

Disc bulges can be controversial due to the lack of consistent classification from radiologists, not to mention that some do not cause any pain, but in general you can classify a bulge as 2mm to 4 mm and a herniation is 5mm or more. Nevertheless, over time due to continued compression or rotational activities any disk bulge can get worse even without another frank injury.

Radiating pain to the chest is not a normal pain distribution for a disk problem in the neck or low back...neck disc problems refer pain in the neck, to the upper back and down the arms.  Low back disk problems refer pain in the low back, buttock and legs.  Now, disk bulges/herniations in the mid back (thoracic spine) can refer pain to the chest, and this may be a more likely scenario.

Regardless, any type of chest pain needs to be immediately examined by your medical doctor due to heart and lung pathologies...these need to be absolutely ruled out first!!  So you need to make an appointment with your MD immediately unless the pain progresses at all...then I would advise you to go to the emergency room.  You can never be too cautious.

If all chest pathology has been ruled out, then an MRI of the spine would be advantageous to ascertain the structures of the disk and the associated nerve roots.  Furthermore, an evaluation of your spinal function ( neck mid back and low back) would be appropriate by your chiropractor.

Just make the appointments and get this checked out.

Respectfully,
Dr. Shawn Leatherman
www.suncoastehalthcare.net