Cervical Herniated Disc Treatment in and around Atlanta

Description

As a disc degenerates, the soft inner gel in the disc can leak back into the spinal canal much like jelly squeezing out of a donut. This is known as disc herniation, or herniated disc. Once inside the spinal canal, the herniated disc material then puts pressure on the nerve, causing pain to radiate down the nerve leading to the arm.

Symptoms

Arm pain from a cervical herniated disc is one of the more common cervical spine conditions treated by spine specialists. It usually develops in the 30- 50 year old age group. Although a cervical herniated disc may originate from some sort of trauma or injury to the cervical spine, the symptoms, including arm pain, commonly start spontaneously. The arm pain from a cervical herniated disc results because the herniated disc material "pinches" or presses on a cervical nerve, causing pain to radiate along the nerve pathway down the arm. Along with the arm pain, numbness and tingling can be present down the arm and into the fingertips. Muscle weakness may also be present due to a cervical herniated disc.

Cervical Herniated Disc Treatment Options

The majority of the time, the arm pain from a cervical herniated disc can be controlled with medication, and conservative (non-surgical) treatments alone are enough to resolve the condition.

Once the arm pain does start to improve it is unlikely to return, although it may take longer for the weakness and numbness/tingling to improve. If the arm pain gets better it is acceptable to continue with conservative treatment, as there really is no literature that supports the theory that surgery for cervical disc herniation helps the nerve root heal quicker.

Most episodes of arm pain due to a cervical disc herniation will resolve over a period of weeks to a couple of months. However, if the pain lasts longer than 6 to 12 weeks, or if the pain and disability is severe, cervical spine surgery may be a reasonable option.

Spine surgery for a cervical herniated disc is generally very reliable and can be done with a minimal amount of postoperative pain and morbidity (unwanted aftereffects). Dr. Bendiks’ patients usually go home the same day or the next morning after their surgery. To see how Dr. Bendiks can help you, please Contact Us to set up an appointment. Pain and Symptoms

In addition to having the low-grade pain of a stiff or inflexible neck, many patients with cervical disc degeneration have numbness, tingling, or even weakness in the neck, arms, or shoulders as a result of nerves in the cervical area becoming irritated or pinched.