The gel material is irritating to your spinal nerves, causing something like a chemical irritation. What is a herniated cervical disc?Ī herniated disc occurs when the gel-like center of your disc ruptures out through a tear in the tough disc wall (annulus) (Fig. Your spinal cord and the spinal nerves act as a "telephone," allowing messages, or impulses, to travel back and forth between your brain and body to relay sensation and control movement (see Anatomy of the Spine). At each disc level, a pair of spinal nerves exit from the spinal cord and branch out to your body. Each disc has a gel-filled center called the nucleus. It has fibrous bands that attach between the bodies of each vertebra. The outer ring of the disc is called the annulus. The vertebrae are separated by discs, which act as shock absorbers preventing the vertebrae from rubbing together. There are 7 cervical vertebrae numbered C1 to C7. The cervical (neck) section of the spine supports the weight of your head (approximately 10 pounds) and allows you to bend your head forward and backward, from side to side, and rotate 180 degrees. Your spine is made of 24 moveable bones called vertebrae. If symptoms continue, surgery may be recommended. Most people improve in 6 weeks and return to normal activity. Treatment with rest, pain medication, spinal injections, and physical therapy is the first step to recovery. Neck or arm pain, numbness or tingling may result when the disc material touches or compresses a spinal nerve. In rare cases, the surgeon removes the entire disc and fuses two vertebrae with metal hardware or inserts an artificial disc.A herniated disc occurs when the gel-like center of a spinal disc ruptures through a weak area in the tough outer wall, similar to the filling being squeezed out of a jelly doughnut. Your slipped disc presses on nerves that cause you to lose control of your bladder or bowelsĭuring slipped disc surgery, your doctor will remove the part of the disc that protrudes from your spine.You have a lot of numbness or weakness in your limbs.You have severe pain that doesn't get better with other treatments.
However, it is usually recommended in cases of slipped discs when: It is unlikely you will need surgery for a herniated disc. You will work with a physical therapist to learn exercises that can minimize pain from a slipped disc and strengthen your back muscles to foster healing. If your symptoms are still present after these interventions, your doctor may recommend physical therapy. If your symptoms do not go away after a few months, your doctor may recommend other treatments, including: Try alternative treatments like acupuncture, massage, or chiropractic.Take walks to avoid becoming too stiff from resting too often. The best way to foster healing in these cases is to rest, avoid activities that cause pain, and take over-the-counter pain killers like acetaminophen or ibuprofen to relieve symptoms.ĭuring your home treatment, you can also: Some herniated discs, also called slipped discs, heal on their own in a few weeks to a few months. There is no "quick fix" for a herniated disc. However, in some cases, they cause pain, numbness, or weakness. Sometimes herniated discs occur without any pain or other symptoms. There is no quick fix for a herniated disc but avoiding activities that aggravate pain and taking over-the-counter pain relievers may help.Ī herniated disc occurs when the soft center of a vertebral disc, called the nucleus, leaks out of a tear in the casing of the spinal column. A herniated disc occurs when the soft center of a vertebral disc, called the nucleus, leaks out of a tear in the casing of the spinal column.