High-fructose corn syrup is a common sweetener in sodas and fruit-flavored drinks. As use of high-fructose corn syrup has increased, so have levels of obesity and related health problems. Some wonder if there's a connection. Research has shown that high-fructose corn syrup is chemically similar to table sugar.
Because the bulging disc is constantly pressing against the nerve or is at least in close proximity to the nerve, patients also often experience constant pain. Most bulging discs occur in the lumbar (low back) or cervical (neck) region.
As long as the bulging area does not press upon surrounding neural tissues, no symptoms occur. When the bulging disc impinges on the nerves of the spine, however, symptoms begin. In the lower back, the damaged disc can cause pain to travel to the hips, buttocks, legs and feet. In the cervical spine, pain can radiate from the neck, down the arm and to the fingers. Approximately 90 percent of bulging discs occur in the lower back, or lumbar area, of the spine. The most common lumbar bulging disc is seen between lumbar vertebra L4 and L5, and between vertebra L5 and S1, causing pain in the L5 nerve or S1 spinal nerve, respectively.