A nerve root can become irritated from either a disc herniation or a bone spur, and when that happens, they can give you different patterns of symptoms radiating down your arm. An irritated nerve root can cause pain, numbness, tingling and even cause you to lose some of the strength of your arm. Show
The most common levels of disc herniation are C4/5, C5/6 and C6/7. Following are common symptoms of pain you may experience in each. Please keep in mind that these are typical pain patterns associated with a cervical disc herniation, they are not absolute. • A C4/5 disc herniation would cause weakness in the deltoid, and the pain would radiate to the shoulder. A cervical herniated disc is diagnosed when the inner core of a disc in the neck herniates, or leaks out of the disc, and presses on an adjacent nerve root. It usually develops in the 30-to-50-year-old age group. While a cervical herniated disc may originate from some sort of trauma or neck injury, the symptoms commonly start spontaneously. For more information and a consultation, please feel free to contact my office at your earliest convenience. Contact us today! Dr. Stephen P. Courtney, M.D. Stephen P. Courtney, M.D. is a board-certified, fellowship trained orthopedic spine surgeon by the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery and the founder of the spine division at Plano Orthopedic Sports Medicine and Spine Center. He has been practicing medicine in Plano since 1995 and has developed his practice exclusively for neck and back disorders. Dr. Courtney has been Chief of Orthopedic Surgery at the Medical Center of Plano and a member of the hospitals Executive and Operating Room Committees. Selected as one of Dallas’ Best Doctors by D Magazine, Dr. Courtney is known for his straight-forward, honest approach and operates only if clearly indicated with proven techniques which has earned him an excellent reputation among his professional colleagues, medical peers and patients. Dr. Courtney is a member of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, North American Spine Society and the Texas Spine Society. A cervical herniated disc occurs when the soft core of a cervical disc leaks out of its harder outer shell. Although this condition can be asymptomatic, pain occurs when the herniated material compresses a nearby nerve root. Usually, this form of ruptured disc affects the 30-50 age group. In addition to wear and tear, cervical disc herniations may stem from some kind of trauma or neck injury. When this occurs, the symptoms often blindside the patient. When a cervical disc herniates, the material may press on nearby cervical nerves, leading to pain that radiates all the way down the arm. In addition, numbness and tingling may also present alongside the pain. Muscle weakness in the biceps, triceps, or hands may also arise in these types of cases. Cervical discs are not very big. But, that doesn’t mean that there is a lot of space surrounding the nerves in that area. Even the smallest crack in a cervical disc may lead to nerve pressure and, as a result, horrible pain for the patient. Usually, the arm discomfort that patients experience is among the most intense of the symptoms. Cervical Herniated Disc CausesUsually, it isn’t easy to figure out the exact cause of a cervical herniated disc. More often than not, the onset is slow and without a clear cause. While this may be the case, sometimes the causes can be narrowed down into the following:
Cervical Herniated Disc SymptomsA cervical herniated disc may cause a number of symptoms in different parts of the body. For example, you may feel pain in your neck, arms, hands, fingers, or parts of the shoulder. Symptoms such as these are primarily determined by the location of the cervical herniated disc. Remember, the cervical spine is composed of 7 bones stacked one on top of each other. Doctors order these vertebrae from C1 to C7, starting at the base of the skull and extending downward. With cervical disc herniations, the nerve affected by the condition is the one that exits at that specific level of the spine. Therefore, if the C6-C7 level has a herniation, then it is the C7 nerve that will be affected. Herniated Disc Symptoms by Nerve LevelAgain, the specific symptoms of a cervical herniated disc will depend on the affected pinched nerves. This typically breaks down as such:
Of course, these are not absolute laws. Symptoms may vary across individuals—even among the same spinal levels. Everyone’s body is different in their own unique way, and as a result, symptoms may vary across the board. Conservative Treatment Options for Cervical Herniated DiscsMost of the time, conservative methods are all a patient will ever need when it comes to resolving a cervical herniated disc. Luckily, when the arm pain starts to improve, it usually does not return. If the pain gets better and more manageable with conservative methods, then there will likely be no need for the patient to have surgery. The following methods are effective, nonsurgical methods for treating cervical herniated discs:
Surgical Treatment for Cervical Herniated DiscsIf your pain is extremely severe or lasts for a period of 6 to 12 weeks, then your doctor may recommend surgery. Luckily, 95% to 98% of these surgeries result in long-lasting pain relief. Surgery for the condition may be performed in the following ways:
Contact UsIf you have a cervical herniated disc that is giving you problems, don’t suffer from the pain any longer! Please contact us at (973) 538-0900. Our multispecialty spine care facility is home to highly trained professionals who are passionate about finding the right solution for you. Don’t let your pain limit the way that you live. Contact our spine doctors today! What muscles are affected by C6C6 provides sensation to the thumb side of your forearm and hand. Cervical nerve 7 controls your triceps and wrist extensor muscles. C7 provides sensation to the back of your arm into your middle finger. Cervical nerve 8 controls your hands and gives sensation to the pinky side of your hand and forearm.
What does C6 and C7 affect?The C6 and C7 cervical vertebrae (and the C8 spinal nerve) form the lowest levels of the cervical spine and directly impact the arm and hand muscles. The locations of C6 and C7 vertebrae are both in the lowest levels of the cervical spine, near the base of the neck.
How do you fix a C6/C7 herniated disc?Surgical Treatment for C6-C7
Common surgeries performed in the C6-C7 motion segment include: Surgery to remove all or part of a disc. Removal of a herniated or degenerated disc may help relieve pressure on compressed nerve roots, reducing radicular pain.
What causes C6/C7 disc bulge?The C6-C7 intervertebral disc is one of the most common to herniate in the cervical spine. Herniation may result from injury or age-related wear and tear. Spondylosis. Spondylosis or chronic degeneration of the vertebrae, disc, and other structures in the spine is common at the C6-C7 level.
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