It is the tearing of the cartilage structure that acts as a shock absorber between the cervical vertebrae or the deterioration of the cartilage tissue after aging.
General Characteristics of the Disease and Its Frequency;The second most common herniated region of the spine after lumbar herniation is the neck region. .
Cervical disc herniation is a disease of the middle age group and is slightly more common in men than in women.
Causes of Cervical Disc Herniation; 1: Trauma (especially hitting the car from behind in vehicle accidents), 2: Degeneration (physiological aging), 3: Biochemical changes, 3: Cervical spine calcifications, 4: Genetics.
Cervical Disc Herniation Risk factors ; 1: Wrong neck movements and wrong positions, 2: Weakness of neck muscles, 3: Some professions (long-time computer use, professions that work for a long time with the head tilted forward), 4: Emotional tension.
Cervical Disc Herniation Complaints and Findings:
Neck pain and neck stiffness are the most common complaints of cervical disc herniation. Unlike lower back pain, neck pain is milder at first. It usually occurs with movements that increase intracranial pressure, such as coughing, sneezing and straining. As the disease progresses, referred arm pain to the arm occurs following neck pain. Along with the pain in the arm, numbness and numbness in the hands and sometimes weakness occur, which is a very advanced condition. When the cervical disc herniation begins to compress the nerve coming out of the spinal cord from the sides, numbness in the arm on the relevant side, loss of strength, loss of reflexes and muscle wasting follow the complaint of pain. Sometimes, if the compression due to a cervical disc herniation progresses, a condition called myelopathy is added to the phenomenon. In this case, in addition to the typical numbness, the patient's legs also participate in the event, so that even walking is impaired. Very rarely, impairments in urinary control are observed.
Cervical Hernia Diagnosis; A good anamnesis and a detailed neurological examination are very important in the evaluation of the patient with suspected cervical disc herniation. Neurological examination is also very important both in the diagnosis of cervical disc herniation and in the differential diagnosis. Test methods used in the diagnosis of cervical disc herniation Er1: Cervical Computed Tomography, 2: Magnetig Resonance Imaging 3: Electromyelography : Spinal cord tumors, pancoast tumor,4: Brachial plexus injuries,5: Hydrosyringomyelia,6: Multiple sclerosis, muscle disease,7: Neuropathic conditions.
Cervical Hernia Treatment options
In the treatment of cervical disc herniations, treatment options are first taken into consideration if the pressure on the spinal nerve caused by the torn cartilage in the neck is compatible with the neurological examination findings. If there is no pressure on the nerves in the treatment, the medical treatment option is applied, and if there is pressure on the nerves, the surgical treatment option is applied.
1: Medical treatment; Drug treatment (painkillers, muscle relaxants), Physical therapy and exercises, Education
Which cervical hernias require surgery?
1: Does not respond to medical treatment Those with severe arm pain as well as motor weakness,
2: Those with spinal nerve myelopathy due to spinal cord compression,
3: Only the complaint of pain is a relative indication.
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