The redundancy of a normal annulus into the canal by loss of interdiscal pressure. Though traditionally considered a "normal phenomenon", a bulging disc can cause great difficulty when they encroach upon an area that is already small (because of developmental concerns) or made small by collapsing degenerative processes. A bulge by itself is a benign process, but the secondary affects of a bulge (reflecting instability, shift, shear, and collapse) or encroachment (nerve pinch) can be very significant. No lesion should be described as "normal bulging" unless it can be demonstrated a doctor's physical examination and the remaining physical findings to be truly benign. Many "bulging" discs reflect painful disc disease or nerve compression.

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