With most back injuries rest is usually all that is required for your back to start to feel better. Resting in a comfortable position on a firm mattress will help to take the pressure off of your spine and the muscles around it. On suggestion to relieve some of the pain from a bulging disc is to place a pillow under your knees while you are resting. If you stay in bed for more than two or three days of bed rest you may be worsening the situation as your back muscle will start to weaken from lack of activity. When returning to a normal life style (although not as active at first) you may still feel pain in your back from your bulging disc but your normal daily activities are good for your muscles, helping them strengthen to give your back more support. So although with movement in the beginning you may feel some pain still, that pain is the beginning of relief for most people. If the few days of best rest and then normal activities fail to provide any relief you may be sent to see a physical therapist. Normal your first few sessions will be spent educating you on the ways to relieve your back of stress while still being able to stay as active as you may possibly want. Short periods of rest combined with brief exercises designed to reduce your pain may be suggested. A well-rounded rehabilitation program assists in calming pain and inflammation, improving your mobility and strength, and helping you do your daily activities with greater ease and ability.
Some individuals may require spinal manipulation or mobilization techniques, deep soft tissue mobilization, neural stretching, or various other interventions by trained personnel for successful results. If the disc is herniated the intervention of a physician or orthopedic surgeon may also be necessary. Successful long term results are very likely if the bulging disc is detected early enough.

Ice, heat, ultrasound, electrical stimulation or massages are used with the initial management of the pain from the bulging disc. The treatments will switch to the core of the problem once the pain begins to be manageable.
The goal of therapy in most situations is to help control your symptoms. By controlling your symptoms you will begin to be able to move and exercise safely and with more ease. The easiest way for someone to combat back problems is through regular exercise. By building the and coordination of the lumbar region and your abdominal muscles you can consider this to be part of a long term health investment by helping to reduce the risks of future back injuries. Most commonly therapy sessions will be scheduled two or three times a week for up to six weeks.
Let's have a look at a quick summary of the goals of physical therapy for bulging disc:
1. learn ways to manage your condition and control symptoms
2. maintain appropriate activity levels
3. learn correct posture and body movements to reduce back strain
4. maximize your flexibility and strength

When looking at a bulging disc from the eyes of a competitive athlete the initial stages of the bulging disc should not impede the athlete's performance too greatly. The athlete will most likely be able to continue playing and only feel the initial symptoms of pain spasms and the limited mobility associated with these symptoms. As the athlete competes or practices the symptoms may become less intense as the stretching associated with the activity is helpful. If the warning signs and symptoms are not taken seriously and there is no medical attention sought after, the bulging disc could worsen and even herniated causing further symptoms that may become debilitating to the athlete.