Herniated disc in neck is a condition where the one of the discs the acts as the cushion between vertebras breaks and spills the gelatinous content which then exerts pressure on the spinal cord or on the nerve branches that project form the spinal cord. The nerve branch gets irritated and causes weakness or pain in the neck in back. The condition could also be called ‘pinched nerve in neck’ and clinically as a Cervical Disc Prolapse.
The spinal cord is projects from the brain and is protected by the spinal cord. The spinal cord is composed of individual pieces called vertebra and these bones have a hollow space where the spinal cord runs through. The discs lie in between the vertebras and provide flexibility to the spine as well as providing a shock absorbent function to allow people to bear weight up to a certain degree.
The discs deteriorate with age, life style factors accelerate the development of herniated disc in neck. The disc loses some of the fluid that promotes flexibility as time passes. Improper weight lifting, smoking, poor diet, or a lifetime of hard labor makes the discs prone to injury. When the fibrous wall, called the annulus, reaches the breaking point, the gelatinous contents, called the nucleus gets forced out and starts pressing on the nerves. Symptoms of pinched nerve in neck include pain, numbness, and weakness in the neck, shoulders, chest, arms, and legs. The condition can be diagnosed by a doctor after a review of the patient’s history and physical examination. The doctor will ask questions that are will determine whether or not the symptoms are caused by irritated nerves. An x-ray, MRI, or CT scan may follow after the period of rest that the doctor prescribes before continuing with further tests.
Herniated disc in neck treatment is started via non-invasive options such as changes in lifestyle, exercises, and medicines to relieve the pain. Physical therapy is part of the process so that the patient would learn how to perform the exercises properly to prevent further injury to the neck. Some hospitals offer procedures where the patient gets stretched gently to allow the bones to have more space. Stronger medicines will be offered should the first options do not alleviate the symptoms. Surgery will be the last resort should this fail as well. Weakness, incontinence and genital numbness are tell-tale sign that tells that the patient is in need of surgery. Surgical options chemonucleolysis where chemicals are used to dissolve the protruding disc, Intradiscal Electrothermal Annuloplasty where a needle is inserted into the bulging disc where a heated wire goes through to seal ruptures in the disc, discectomy to relieve compression, Tessys method which is a transforaminal endoscopic method to remove herniated disc, laminectomy to relieve nerve compression, artificial disc replacement which aims to treat lower back pain from a degenerated disc, and nucleoplasty. The common objective of this herniated disc in neck treatment is to relieve stress on the spine to allow the nerves to recover.