What is a Cervical Herniated Disc?

How is a Cervical Herniated Disc Diagnosed?

When a patient makes an appointment presenting with pain potentially caused by a herniated disc the surgeon starts with a complete history and physical examination. It is essential for the surgeon to piece together the patient’s story of how the pain or problem began while looking for clues to what is causing the pain. A spine surgeon usually uses four distinct tests to identify the cause of a patient’s pain in the cervical or neck area.

• MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) Scan After the initial exam, the surgeon will typically order an MRI scan. This scan can show the surgeon any nerve root or spinal cord compression that may correlate with the patient’s symptoms.
• X-ray Scan Cervical x-rays are diagnostic imaging tests used to visualize the bones, joints, and soft tissues of the neck area (cervical spine). They help doctors assess conditions such as neck pain, injuries, arthritis, or abnormalities in the cervical vertebrae.

Non-Operative Treatment

• Pain Management Nerve blocks and steroid injections work well to pinpoint pain generators in the cervical spine and also provide therapeutic pain relief. If injections are effective but relief is short-term, interventional procedures such as the medial branch radiofrequency ablation are often recommended by pain management physicians.

Conservative Treatment Options

• Medications A herniated disc in the cervical spine is caused by first, the pinching of the spinal cord or nerve root and second, the inflammation associated with the disc itself. The following are recommended to provide relief:

Anti-inflammatory Medications such as ibuprofen or Naproxen (Advil, Aleve, Motrin) or COX-2 inhibitors such as Celebrex and Mobic are very effective pain relievers.
Oral Steroids such as prednisone or Medrol Dose Pak, are only recommended for a short period of one week.

• Physical Therapy A herniated disc in the cervical spine is caused by first, the pinching of the spinal cord or nerve root and second, the inflammation associated with the disc itself. The following are recommended to provide relief:
• Cervical Traction A physical therapist or at home traction devices can help reduce the pressure of a herniated disc. However, it does not work for everyone.
• Chiropractic Therapy Professional chiropractic gentle manual manipulation may help reduce the joint dysfunction and associated pain.
• Activity Modification Modifying activities and exercises that may exacerbate the herniated disc may reduce the stress and pain in the neck, shoulders, and arms. These activities may include heavy lifting above the head, running, tennis or any exercise that puts stress on the neck from increased vibration and compression to the cervical spine.

Least Invasive Surgical Options to Treat Cervical Disc Herniation

• Endoscopic Cervical Foraminalplasty is a specialized endoscopic surgical technique used to address nerve compression and related issues in the cervical spine by accessing and treating the neural foramina from the posterior (back) aspect using ultra-minimally invasive endoscopic methods.

How to Protect Yourself Safe From COVID-19?

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