The difference between lumbar bulging disc and herniation is whether the nucleus pulposus breaks through the annulus fibrosus or not. The herniation type that breaks through the annulus fibrosus is more obvious than the bulging type, which causes more obvious symptoms and the clinical treatment is also more complicated. 1. Pathology: The bulging type of lumbar intervertebral disc is that the nucleus pulposus protrudes out of the annulus fibrosus but remains inside the annulus fibrosus and does not go beyond the edge of the vertebral end plate, while the herniated type is that the nucleus pulposus breaks through the annulus fibrosus and protrudes out into the spinal canal. 2. Imaging: The herniated portion of a bulging disc is 25% of the edge of the disc, or the angle between the two sides of the herniation and the center of the nucleus pulposus is >90°. The herniated disc type has a protruding portion <25% of the disc rim, or the angle between the two sides of the protruding disc and the center of the nucleus pulposus <90°. 3. Treatment: bulging type is generally asymptomatic or only low back pain, treatment is mainly conservative treatment, such as taking anti-inflammatory drugs, physical therapy, traction therapy and other methods, lumbar disc herniation type of light symptoms can be conservative treatment, the serious may require surgical treatment. In conclusion, lumbar disc herniation is the progression of bulging type, which causes more obvious symptoms. Bulging type is mainly treated conservatively, while herniation type is easy to cause nerve root compression symptoms, and some patients need surgical treatment to alleviate the symptoms.