As just mentioned, the pain which comes with cervical disc herniation may vary from one patient to another.  However, one thing is certain: the pain can be very serious.  While the cervical discs are typically not large, the space for the nerves is neither big.  This means that even a simple case of herniation can irritate the nerve and cause tremendous pain and discomfort.  Typically, it is the arm which gets the most severe pain at the onset of cervical disc herniation.

Diagnosis of Cervical Disc Herniation

The first part of diagnosing cervical disc herniation is by conducting a physical exam.  The doctor will ask you about the pain you have been experiencing as well as how long it has been around.  You will also be asked whether you have just had any injury or trauma as either can cause cervical disc herniation.

After the initial stage, you will be asked to go through some diagnostic imaging tests.  They are necessary to make sure that cervical disc herniation is the genuine cause of the problem.

Here are some of the most popular tests for cervical disc herniation:

• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan—This is probably the best way to diagnose cervical disc herniation. The scan can show a clear image of any nerve root which may be pinched due to cervical disc herniation.

• Computerized Tomography (CT) Scan–  Cervical disc herniation may also be diagnose via CT scan with myelogram.  Myelography is a tool for diagnosis which uses radiographic contrast media or dye.  The dye is injected into the fluid in the spinal canal so the nerve and bony structures can be clearly identified.  This can make the diagnosis of cervical disc herniation a lot easier.  With better illumination of the spinal parts, even the most subtle case of nerve root impingement can be seen.

• Electromyography (EMG)—EMG is not often used in diagnosing cervical disc herniation. However, it may be requested in particular occasions. EMG is a kind of electrical test carried out by stimulating certain nerves along with inserting needles into different leg or arm muscles that may be affected by cervical disc herniation.  In the case that the muscles have lost normal functioning, a spontaneous electrical activity will be detected.  Apart from helping diagnose cervical disc herniation, this test can also rule out other conditions involving the nerves such as brachial plexitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, thoracic outlet syndrome, and ulnar nerve entrapment.

Treatments for Cervical Disc Herniation

Oftentimes, cervical disc herniation can be treated by noninvasive and conservative methods such as taking medications, physical therapy, and other non-surgical approaches.  Once the pain of shows improvement, it is unlikely to return.  However, the weakness and tingling may take some time to totally disappear.

The doctor may ask you to take some time off from work.  Don’t worry, in most cases, of cervical disc herniation just several days of rest would suffice. Just make sure you follow the therapist’s instructions and make time for some useful exercises that can fasten your recovery from cervical disc herniation.  He or she may also recommend some alterations in your diet.  Follow them and you’ll surely be feeling normal soon.

A Brief Guide to Cervical Disc Herniation

Cervical disc herniation is usually the cause of neck and arm pains among many adults.  While the neck may seem a small area in the body, it is composed of numerous anatomic structures like ligaments, muscles, joints, and bones.  All these have nerve endings which can detect pain whenever something’s wrong, particularly cervical disc herniation.

Defining Cervical Disc Herniation

The tissue found between the bones in the neck is known as intervertebral discs.  They are made of soft gelatinous center and tough outer cover.  They function as joints between the bones in the spine so movement can be comfortable.  However, when the lining protecting the discs tear, the soft center may squeeze through the opening.  This is known as cervical disc herniation.

The most common spine levels affected by cervical disc herniation are the C5-C6 (cervical 5 and cervical 6) levels and the C6-C7.   After which, the next most common is the C4-C5 level.  Cervical disc herniation in the C7-T1 level is rare.

The herniation of the cervical disc affects the nerve exiting the spine in each level. Hence, when the C5-C6 level is involved, the C6 nerve root is the one affected.

Symptoms of Cervical Disc Herniation

Cervical disc herniation typically comes with the following patterns of pain and neurological deficits:

• C4/C5–  May cause frailty in the upper arm, specifically the deltoid muscle.  It may also cause some shoulder pains.  But, it doesn’t usually trigger any tingling sensation or numbness.
• C5/C6— As already mentioned, this is one of the most common levels affected by cervical disc herniation.  It may cause weakness in the area of the biceps (muscles which are located in the front part of the upper arms) as well as wrist extensor muscles.  There may also be tingling, numbness, and pain which radiates to the thumb sides.
• C6/C7— This is another common level affected by cervical disc herniation. It may result in feebleness in the triceps (or the muscles located in the back of the upper arm which extend to the forearm), as well as the finger extensor muscles.  Just like the symptoms in C6 cervical disc herniation, there may be tingling, numbness, and pain which radiates through the triceps down to the middle finger.
• C7/T1—When the rare cervical disc herniation in this level happens, the primary symptom is the weakness of the handgrip.  There may also be tingling, numbness, and pain which go down the arm through the pinky finger side of the hands.

These are the most common symptoms of cervical disc herniation. However, although they are generally observed by patients, you should not take them as absolute symptoms of cervical disc herniation.

You see, people vary, including the way they’re wired up to developing, feeling, and handling pain.  Just because someone is suffering from cervical disc herniation doesn’t mean that all his or her symptoms would be the same with other patients of the same condition.

Treatment for Cervical Spondylosis

Cervical spondylosis is the medical term for the condition where the spinal bones and discs on the area of the neck are starting to degenerate. This condition is usually associated with aging and an indication of the development of osteoarthritis. People at the age of fifty and above are the ones prone to developing both cervical spondylosis and osteoarthritis. The most common symptom of cervical spondylosis is chronic neck pain. Cervical spondylosis treatment should be done soon to prevent the disorder’s signs and symptoms to progress

Cervical spondylosis treatment depends on the case of the patient. For patients experiencing mild forms of the cervical injury, cervical spondylosis treatment include relieving the pain through neck braces, therapeutic neck and shoulder exercises, heat and ice treatment, and pain medications.

Wearing a neck brace would help a patient by stabilizing and limiting movements of the neck and therefore preventing any pain caused by sudden neck movements. This will also help to lessen the nerve irritation on the affected area.

Physical therapists provide neck and shoulder exercises to lessen the pressure on the affected area and to strengthen the muscles. Stretching the neck and shoulder muscles will not only strengthen the muscles. The stretching exercises can also help in relieving pain caused by the nerve damage. It is important that cervical spondylosis treatment exercises are done in the proper way. Improper delivery of the neck and shoulder stretching may further add pain and discomfort. Sudden pain may be relieved by alternate heat and cold packs and pain medications.

More severe cases, however, require a more systematic cervical spondylosis treatment which includes application of traction, modified exercise regimen, muscle relaxants and medications affecting the nerves for pain relief. If these treatments are not giving any positive results or improvement for three months or more, the doctor may suggest a cervical disc surgery for symptom relief.

Info On Cervical Disc Surgery

The spine is composed of small bones which allow the bending movement of the back. These bones are protected from damaging each other through small discs located in between each bone. The small discs are flat and round cartilages. Each disc is composed by a soft gelatinous material inside which is called a nucleus and a tough outer shell called a capsule. As the spine moves, the small discs absorb the shock coming through the movement of each vertebral bone.  When the disc ruptures, the outer shell is damaged and the inner material bulges which can cause nerve damage and discomfort. The treatment for severe cases of herniated disc is a cervical disc surgery.

A cervical disc surgery is rarely done because cases of ruptured or herniated discs can be managed through therapies and pain medications. However, if the symptoms continue to occur after several therapies and constant medical management, a cervical disc surgery may be the best option. Physicians recommend the cervical disc surgery if there are no improvements in about three to six months of non-aggressive treatment approach and if the patient is continually experiencing troublesome limitations on his or her daily activities leading to a low quality of life.

A cervical disc surgery may be done as a laminectomy, discectomy or laminotomy. These three surgical operations are the choices for a ruptured disc treatment depending on the patient’s condition. A laminectomy is a surgery performed to remove the lamina located at the back of the vertebra to relieve the pressure on the spine caused by the ruptured disc. A discectomy is a procedure where the damaged portion of the ruptured disc is removed.  A laminotomy is a less invasive surgery done to relieve pressure on the area of the ruptured disc by releasing the affected neural tissues and then increasing the space in the vertebral area.

Again, surgeries are last resort for a ruptured disc treatment. Conservative management is done first before the physician decides on turning to surgeries.

Surgical Management of Herniated Cervical Disc

Most of the time, conservative measures are employed in the treatment of herniated discs typically avoiding the use of invasive cervical herniated disc surgery unless needed. These considerations for undergoing surgical procedures include unrelieved pain in the neck and arm, presence of multiple herniated cervical discs, and those with free fragments that may cause further damage if not removed.

The most common approach to cervical herniated disc surgery is via an incision in front or anterior, but another type of surgical procedure is the Posterior Cervical Decompression (Microdiscectomy) Surgery. This involves cutting from the back of the neck and mainly intended for rupture of cervical discs with worse damages and those that protrude to one side.

The advantage of this surgery is that there is lesser time for recovery since the bones need not to be fused because the connection between vertebrae is not altered unlike in the anterior approach. Also, this type of procedure has lesser complications and its post-operative effects are less severe than the anterior counterpart of cervical herniated disc surgery except for potential for nerve root or spinal cord damage. The most common post surgery effects include bleeding, dural leak, infection, moderate pain at incision site and some neck muscle fatigue due to the muscles retracted during operation.

However, the physicians still prefer the anterior approach in cervical herniated disc surgery because it requires lesser technical skill and a more reliable procedure. PCD is limited to lateral disc herniation since the spinal cord occludes the view of the anterior parts of the disc. Also, this surgery also poses risk of the disc rupturing again in the future since it is not totally removed by the procedure.

Cervical herniated disc surgery such as PCD may be the last resort for persons suffering from surgery because of its risks and potential complications. Appropriate preparation and care for the individual before and after the cervical herniated disc surgery is highly valued.

What is Cervical Strain?

Cervical strain or simply neck strain, is a condition where the overstretched or overextended neck muscles cause irritation and tremors in the muscles of the neck and even affecting the upper back muscles. The injury results to inflammation of the said muscles thus causes local pain, swelling and elevated temperature in the area affected.

Difficulty in movement especially turning the head side to side may also be noted in cervical strain. This result from stiffening of the muscles due to swelling and at times, this can be caused by motor vehicle accidents compresses these muscles may lead to weakening of the muscles limiting range of motion.

Vehicular accidents as mentioned above may cause cervical strain together with other injuries such as falls, assault on the neck muscle and sports injury. More recent studies on causes also include hazards at the workplace especially those from the labor sector such as construction. Awkward posture and position of the neck such as experienced by secretaries and computer encoders may also predispose its development. There are also few cases resulting from inappropriate position for sleeping. Other manifestations include bruises over the site of injury and a tearing or popping sensation inside the neck.

Usually cervical strain heals on its own and may not need any interventions, however supportive measures may be used to alleviate its symptoms.

Application of cold temperature via ice pack intermittently for fifteen to twenty minutes reduces the pain and inflammation of the site. Heat may also be applied to facilitate blood flow and alleviate the swelling. But, it must be reminded that heat or cold applications should not be placed directly to the skin to prevent injuries.

Lastly, if all measures to alleviate discomfort of cervical strain do not work or pain remains to be present for more than three weeks, medical consultation should be done for further evaluation of the injury.

Information about cervical disc herniation will be added shortly!