Can protruding discs in back just go back into place?

Question:

18 months ago I hurt myself at work. A CT scan was done and was found to have 2 protruding discs.One in my thorasic spine and one in my lumbar spine. I was in a lot of pain and have been on heavy pain killers since. A month ago another CT Scan was done and it came back there were no protruding discs. This confused me because I was still in pain. I am still working but can only manage to get through my shifts by taking painkillers. I went off my painkillers after I got the results of the second CT Scan because I thought it could be psychosematic. Two hours into my shift I was in terrible pain and not just at the site of the injury anymore, but the pain was worse and over a larger area. I had to lay on the floor to get relief. Could the second CT Scan be wrong. The first CT Scan I went for suggested an MRI Scan should be done as the protruding disc was indenting my thecal sac. No MRI was done. What do you think is and has happened. Any advice is appreciated.

Answers:
sounds like a herniated disc
have the MRI done
it is more reliable than a cat scan
by continuing to work in this condition you risk doing more and possibly permanent damage to your back

No this is like a hernia and only surgery is curative.

I DONT THINK THEY DO I THINK THERE IS a precedurr for this that is not that painful at all i have heard they never get better without help i dont think

While it is possible through conservative means to get relief from protruding discs, please keep in mind that MRI is still the "gold standard" in terms of evaluation of soft tissue derrangement. While CT scan is certainly helpful, MRI is still the test against which all others are compared when it comes to evaluating soft tissue.

Have you done any further treatment besides pain killers? While these are helpful at reducing pain, they do not correct the problem.

If you are not able to have an MRI, a myelogram is probably your next choice after CT scan.be sure to discuss this with your physician.

Can protruding discs in back just go back into place?

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