The difference between a bulging disc and a herniated disc includes the following: First, on imaging CT or MRI, a bulging disc is often more than 3/4 or 3/4 of the area of the vertebral body, and a herniated disc is generally only 1/4 of the area of the vertebral body. second, the symptoms of a bulging disc most often lead to back pain and rarely lead to symptoms of nerve root compression, such as leg numbness in the lower extremities. Most patients with a herniated lumbar disc can cause symptoms of nerve root irritation, which can then lead to numbness and pain in the lower limbs. Third, the treatment is different, most of the lumbar bulge can be conservative treatment, such as lumbar traction, oral medication, while the lumbar disc herniation in addition to conservative treatment, most of the serious need for surgical treatment.