What everyone else said, plus --

Back injuries are finicky creatures. I found with my own injury that it's been a three steps forward - two steps back process. Sometimes it can be hard to interpret your body's signals to back off vs. push through the pain.

My big advice is to be patient, because setbacks just mean more time not doing the things you want to be doing.

Is hot/cold therapy ok for bulging disks? I've found that just a few minutes of ice massage can bring down the inflammation in my back.

Good luck!