The human spine is a biomechanical structure that keeps the body upright and allows it to continue its movement. The spine carries out these two simultaneously to ensure balance and movement of the body. While doing these, it resists both body weight and external forces. This resistance is provided by the discs between the vertebrae. Discs resist the forces applied to the body as we move. While standing, pressure is applied to the discs. The discs in the spine absorb these forces and enable our body to stand or balance and move. But as we get older, the strength and strength of the discs in resisting and absorbing pressures or loads decreases.
The amount of liquid and substances in the discs and the decrease in their absorbing power may lead to herniation. Increasing loads on the neck, posture disorders, incorrect movements and incorrect working styles significantly increase the risk of disc herniation. The inner part of the discs in the neck has a gelatinous structure. When this part tears the outer part of the neck and puts pressure on the spinal cord and nerves, it is called a cervical disc herniation.
So What Are the Symptoms?
A herniated disc in the neck area can cause many different types of pain or cause no symptoms at all. Pain can occur in the neck, between the shoulder blades, shoulders, arms, hands and fingers. Moreover, cervical disc herniation pain may cause pain at the nape of the neck, around the head, or even referred to the front in the eye area. While this may sometimes manifest itself with pain, sometimes it may occur in the form of numbness and tingling or pulling and contraction. Sometimes, weakness or weakness in the arm or hand muscles may also be present. While a herniated disc in the neck can result from some type of trauma or neck injury, most of the time symptoms begin on their own.
Cervical disc pain and related symptoms are typically felt in one arm or the other. Symptoms may vary depending on which disc is herniated and which nerve root is compressed and that area becomes inflamed. While usually only one arm is affected, sometimes pain, tingling, numbness and weakness can spread to both arms if the hernia is directed towards the spinal cord center. It can affect both arms. It can even go down the body. In advanced cases, loss of bowel control or bladder control may also be affected, although rarely.
Pain Management in Cervical Herniation
The neck and arm of a person with a cervical herniation caused by the herniation of the disc. The pain may be short-lived or last only a few days, or it may become chronic and last for months or longer. It is common for the pain to come and go or to get worse during certain activities.
Which Position Should I Sleep? Is Pillow Selection Important?
Many patients may feel intense pain while falling asleep or trying to take a sleeping position, and they constantly wonder in which position or what type of pillow they should choose. Clinical experience on this subject shows us that there is no single correct sleeping position and that sleeping position and pillow selection vary for each patient. It would be appropriate for patients with cervical disc herniation to be evaluated in detail by a specialist physiotherapist or doctor, to have a thorough physical examination, to examine their radiological images, if any, and to make appropriate recommendations and warnings.
When neck or arm pain is caused by a herniated disc, with the right treatment, symptoms typically resolve completely within 4 to 6 months, even if the disc itself does not fully heal in the first months. In many patients, the pain disappears completely within the first few days. The person reaches a level where he can easily regain daily living activities.
What are the Treatment Options?
If the patient has long-term pain, sensitivity to pain may have developed, and chronic pain behaves differently than acute pain and is perceived differently by patients. Therefore, the approach to patients with acute pain and patients with chronic pain should be different in treatment.
Some risk factors should be taken into consideration when performing cervical manipulation in patients with cervical disc herniation. It should be applied by expert physiotherapists who are aware of potential risk factors such as arterial insufficiency, ligament injury, upper motor neuron disorders and hypertension.
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Medical massage also has effects on neck problems. It reduces muscle tension and spasms, reduces pain and supports relaxation.
Providing posture and posture awareness training to individuals, as well as teaching them to avoid wrong habits, is an important part of the treatment of spine disorders.
The information given here is diagnostic. and is not for treatment, it is for general informational purposes only.
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