Cervical Disc – Conditions That Can Develop, Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments for Relief
Cervical Discs problems can be very serious for the individual dealing with them. Not only can these conditions lead to severe pain and disability, they are also very frustrating because they are very slow to heal.
This article will discuss what a cervical disc is, the most common problems that can occur with one, the causes of these conditions, as well as the most common symptoms and treatments recommended.
Let’s begin with a discussion of what a cervical discs is. The discs of the spine are cushions that separate each set of vertebrae in the back. The main purpose of these discs is to absorb shock when you move. Without them, the shock would be absorbed by the vertebrae of the spine, which would be very agravating.
Each disc is composed of two parts – a strong outer covering called the annulus, and a soft jelly center called the nucleus. The jelly in the center is very important because this is where the spinal discs store nutrients and oxygen for proper health, as well as healing any problems that develop with the disc.
This fact becomes very significant when you consider that the discs of the spine do not receive a very good blood supply. Your body normally depends on the blood to bring oxygen and nutrition for proper health, but because the discs of the spine don’t have this normal blood flow, the nucleus is absolutely vital.
The most common conditions that can occur with a neck disc are a neck bulging disc (sometimes also referred to as a slipped disc, bulging disc, or herniated disc), and cervical disc disease (which is a form of arthritis).
In the case of a herniated cervical disc, the strong outer covering tears, and the jelly in the center of the disc begins to move into the weak area. This creates a “bulge” in the disc. What’s interesting about this problem is that the pain from it actually comes from the spinal nerves, which are located directly behind each disc (which is where the discs tend to bulge).
Believe it or not, the discs of the spine are actually designed to not feel pain. This makes sense when you consider that the main function is to absorb shock. If they could feel pain, you would be in pain with every movement you made!
The spinal nerves are very sensitive, so any amount of pressure from a bulging disc will cause pain. Also, because these nerves control everything in the body, it’s also normal for other symptoms to develop, which you may not associate with the spine. I’ll be giving you some examples of these symptoms in a moment, but let’s first talk about cervical disc disease.
Cervical disc disease occurs when the jelly in the center of the disc begins to dehydrate (it loses its water, and essentially starts to dry up). When this happens, the disc starts to become shorter. This will also cause the space where the nerves exit the spine to become smaller, and once again, you have pressure on the nerves.
In both of these cases, the symptoms can be very similar because of the nerves involved.
In the case of a neck disc, the most likely symptoms you may have are pain in the neck, shoulder pain, arms, or hands (you may also experience burning, pins and needles, or numbness in these areas), headaches, chest pain, thyroid problems (which could lead to weight problems), blurry vision, and ringing in the ears.
Although one may have never associated these areas of the body with the neck, these symptoms will often occur because these parts of the body are controlled by the nerves of the cervical spine.
The causes of these conditions are very different. A herniated disc in the neck usually occurs due to a trauma (such as a car accident, lifting something too heavy, a fall, etc.). It’s also possible for an individual to be born with a genetic predisposition for weaker discs of the spine, which would lead to the condition.
The cause of cervical disc disease is wear-and-tear over time. However, the beginning of this problem is also often trauma, because injuries to the spine that are not treated properly will cause the spine to degenerate more quickly.
I want to stress that this condition is not age related! Most people associate arthritis with aging, which simply isn’t the truth. Arthritis is usually localized to joints that have been used too much (such as the hands, knees, shoulders, and spine).
If you look at degenerative disc disease of a neck disc, you will see that it is usually only located in 1 or 2 discs – not every one of them. So, I ask you this – if cervical disc disease (arthritis) were strictly due to age, wouldn’t you see it in EVERY cervical disc? After all, they’re all the same age, aren’t they?
The reason I bring this up is because people often use their age to “give up” on trying to experience relief – they just accept it. There are plenty of treatment options for cervical discs pain, and we’ll discuss that next.
With either of these conditions, most doctors will recommend the same treatments – medications (usually pain relievers and muscle relaxers), injections (such as cortisone and epidurals), physical therapy, and surgery (as a last resort).
Unfortunately, the success rates of these traditional treatments are usually very low. However, there are a number of other alternative treatments that are more effective for neck disc pain. Alternative treatments such as chiropractic, massage therapy, acupuncture, and nutritional supplementation are among the best options for these conditions.
After working with thousands of patients with these conditions, I can tell you that the best results are usually achieved with a very specific combination of these treatments. If you would like to learn more about how you can utilize the most effective treatment options in a way that provides the highest success rate with cervical discs pain, you can click here (neck disc herniation).
About the Author: Dr. Ron Daulton, Jr. is a chiropractor, national speaker, and published author who specializes in spinal disc conditions.
