While it might sound worrisome, it is not an uncommon health problem as you age. In fact, you could often have one without any symptoms.
Learn more about your cervical disks, what can cause one to become damaged, the symptoms, and when to call your doctor.
Your Spine and Cervical Disks
It helps if you first learn a little about your spine, how it’s constructed, and where your cervical disks are found.
Your spinal column is made up of bones called vertebrae. They hold you upright. They also surround and protect your spinal cord, which looks like a tube with fluid running through the middle. It stretches from your brain to the bottom of your spine.
In between the vertebrae are spongy cushions called disks. They act like shock absorbers for your regular movements, as well as jumping, running, and other activities that put wear and tear on your body.
- Cervical
- Thoracic
- Lumbar
The top seven vertebrae in your spine are the cervical vertebrae. The cervical area of your spinal cord also contains nerves that connect to your arms, hands, and upper body.
Causes
It can be hard to figure out exactly what causes a herniated cervical disk. It often comes on slowly with no clear cause. But sometimes the reason can be narrowed down to:
- Age. A disk can be more prone to herniating because of wear and tear. When we’re young, our disks have a lot of water in them. But over time as we get older, the amount of water decreases. Less water in the disks means they can become less flexible. And that means when you move, twist, or turn, the chance of it rupturing, or herniating, is greater. In older people, they can rupture with less force.
- Genetics. Herniated disks also can run in families.
- Movement. Sudden, jarring motions can cause one.
- Sudden strain. If you lift a heavy object or turn or twist your upper body too quickly, you can damage a disk.
Symptoms
A herniated cervical disk is one of the most common causes of neck pain. If the disk is pressing on a nerve root, other symptoms can include:
- Numbness or tingling in a shoulder or arm that may go down to your fingers
- Weakness in a hand or arm
- Stumbling or awkward walking
- Tingling or a shock-like feeling running down your body into your legs
- Problems using your hands and arms for fine motor skills
- Loss of balance and coordination
When to Call a Doctor
Herniated disks are common and occur more often in men than women. People 35 to 55 years old have a higher chance of getting a herniated disk.
If you have neck pain with one or more of the above symptoms, and especially if you have any weakness, you should call your Primary Care Physician to get a referral to be seen by one of our pain specialists.
Source: webmd