I have been doing very limited PT with some gentle mckenzie based extension exercises hoping to gently compress and massage some protrusions back in place over time.
It seems however that where discs are damaged beyond grade 1 level the extension exercises actually increase bulging whereas flexion movements do not, at least if accompanied by axial loading. It doesn't get any easier.
Dynamic Bulging of Intervertebral Discs in the Degenerative... : Spine