Cervical Herniation is the disease that occurs when the cartilage between the cervical vertebrae shifts towards the spinal canal, putting pressure on the nerves coming to the arm and the spinal cord.
The cervical vertebrae are the smallest and largest of the spinal system. are delicate vertebrae. They can easily be affected by trauma. They also have very mobile joints. They can move forward, backward, right, left and sideways
- Symptoms of cervical disc hernia:
Patients start from one-sided shoulder and hand and they complain of pain extending down to their fingers. In some patients, it may spread to the back and shoulder blades. There may be numbness in the fingers. There is weakness in the hand and the patient may drop the objects he/she holds. The pain may be so severe that it does not allow the patient to sleep, especially at night.
CERCULAR HERNIATION SURGERY
Despite all the treatments applied, the arm pain does not go away and most importantly, the loss of strength in the hand and arm. If it increases gradually, it means that there is no other option left for cervical disc herniation surgery.
There are two types of approaches.
1- Frontal surgery (anterior intervention ): It is applied if the hernia is in the lower cervical vertebrae. In other words, it can be performed in herniations of the 4th cervical vertebra and below. Under general anesthesia, a skin incision of approximately 2-3 cm is made on the front of the neck and the sliding cartilage between the vertebrae is removed. The results of the surgery are very successful. We can discharge the patient from the hospital on the same day after the effect of anesthesia wears off. He can return to work after 10-15 days.
2-Surgery performed from the back (Posterior intervention): The upper cervical vertebrae cannot be reached by entering from the front. Because, first of all, the jaw and facial structures prevent this. The upper cervical vertebrae are hidden behind the jaw and face. For this reason, the upper distances can only be reached from the back of the neck.
Surgical interventions from the back are quite difficult. The bone wings located at the back of the cervical vertebrae need to be removed. This means that the back part of the neck spinal canal is completely opened, which disrupts the physical structure of the neck and may cause some structural disorders related to the neck in the person's future life. In addition, the muscles in the back of the neck are damaged. It causes a great deal of damage.
For these reasons, the procedure performed from the back of the neck is a very difficult and unpleasant procedure. We prioritize non-surgical treatment methods, especially for upper-distance cervical hernias. We still consider surgery for cervical disc herniation as a last resort.
DISEASES MIXED WITH NECK HERNIA
1-Cervical disc hernias, shoulder joint diseases. Can be mixed with . Shoulder joint diseases (Supraspinatus tendinitis, muscle strain and ruptures around the shoulder joint, strain or rupture of the shoulder joint capsule, shoulder joint calcification, etc.) can be confused with cervical disc hernia.
2-Lung tumors called Pancoast tumors can also be confused with cervical hernia. These tumors can cause pain and loss of strength in the unilateral arm. They may start with shoulder pain. In this regard, it would be beneficial to have a chest x-ray for all patients over the age of 50, smokers, and those presenting with shoulder and arm pain.
Initiating treatment for neck and shoulder diseases in Pancoast tumors leads to late diagnosis of the tumor. Therefore, it is necessary to be careful.
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