03/19/2026
Not every disc injury means surgery.
Bulges can heal and are often less severe. Sequestration is usually a more advanced injury. A sequestrated disc means a piece of disc material has broken free from the disc itself. Symptoms depend on nerve irritation or compression, and many disc injuries improve without surgery.
That means a disc bulge is not nothing, but it also does not automatically mean worst-case scenario. While sequestration is usually a more advanced injury, the real question is how much the nerve is being affected and what symptoms are showing up.