Cervical disc herniation
What is cervical disc herniation?
The cervical spine (neck) has seven vertebrae, and between them lie the intervertebral discs, which absorb shock and allow smooth movement. Cervical disc herniation is a condition in which one of these discs protrudes and compresses a nerve; it is diagnosed through detailed MRI, CT and X-ray examinations.
Causes
Symptoms
The typical symptoms of cervical disc herniation are neck pain and radiating pain. In the early stages pain is felt in the neck and the surrounding area; as the condition progresses, shoulder and back pain, arm numbness and headaches may appear.
- 1
- The back of the neck is stiff and always feels heavy.
- 2
- The shoulder always feels heavy and catches.
- 3
- There is numbness or pain in the arm or hand.
- 4
- Weakness in the arm and fingers, or dulled sensation..
- 5
- Headache and a feeling of the eye being pulled out.
View treatment details
In practice, fewer than 10% of disc patients undergo surgery. Surgical treatment is carefully considered when symptoms do not improve with conservative treatment, or when the herniated disc presses severely on the nerve and causes extreme pain or paralysis.