In this video, attorney Gordon McKernan of McKernan Law Firm answers the question: What are the different types of disc injuries? There are three main types of disc injuries. Bulging, herniated, and ruptured discs. Bulging are discs that bulge out between the vertebrae of the spinal cord which can cause nerve pain by pressing on the nerve. A herniated disc is a much more serious form of a bulging disc which will often require surgery. The ruptured disc is one where it actually tears and leaks out the jelly filled substance inside that irritates the various nerves. There are many therapeutical types of intervention and also some surgical ones that can have very successful results in treating these types of injuries.