Thanks, Loose rivets. I am currently flying and am 46 years old. Do I take it, then from your experience that a bulging of the disc is fairly common? I have always been a bit wary of my back since 'wedging' a couple of vertebrae many moons ago. This has apparently healed very satisfactorily but my back has always ached since; this recent episode took the pain to whole new levels though and cost me some flying for a few days. The pain has abated now, nicely, and the doc assumes that the bulge has popped back in. Presumably you have suffered the self-same? Are recurrences likely?