A herniated disc in the cervical region is the degeneration of tissue between discs in the neck, causing the inside of the tissue to drain, possibly adding pressure to nerve roots and causing significant pain during mobility. The cause can be from aging or trauma, but it’s hard to determine which because the onset of pain can be long after its origination.
Symptoms and Diagnosis
Because the discs in the cervical region all have root nerves leading to different parts in the body, your injury or degeneration can cause pain in body parts other than the neck. For example, if pressure is applied to C-5 nerve root you may experience pain in the upper arm, but not tingling and if pressure is applied to C-6 nerve root you may experience numbness and tingling in the thumb. Noting all sites of pain, describing the feeling and when it occurs is helpful to your doctor during diagnosis. After a physical examination, you will undergo an MRI scan to further diagnose the cause and severity. Other tests beyond an MRI may be suggested called a Myelogram or Electromyography (A.K.A. EMG).
Conservative Treatment
Your diagnosis and severity will largely influence your course of treatment. The most non-invasive things you can do are taking anti-inflammatory medication, making lifestyle changes or participating in a physical therapy program to name a few. Holding your head on top a damaged cervical spine can be exhausting so including rest in your routine is a must. It’s helpful to own a cervical brace support product to hold your head and allow your neck the rest it needs to heal.
In the event that your neck can’t sustain its activity in the condition it’s in and it’s not responding to treatments in a sufficient way, surgery may be considered.