What does a bulging disc feel like in neck

March 09, 2018

Table of Contents Show

Your Spine and Cervical Disks
What Does ‘Herniated’ Mean?
When to Call a Doctor
How do you fix a bulging disc in your neck?
Can a bulging disc in neck heal itself?
Are bulging discs in neck painful?
How do you know if neck pain is muscle or disc?

Tagged With: cervical spine, chronic pain, discs, flouroscopy, headaches, Herniated Cervical Disc, Herniated Disc, muscle spasms, musculoskeletal disorders, musculoskeletal system, Neck, Neck pain, nerve pain, nerves, neuropathy, Orthopaedic Associates, orthopedic surgeon, orthopedics, orthopedist, physical therapy, shoulder, shoulder pain, spinal column, spine, vertebra

Human herniated disk concept and spine pain diagnostic as a human spinal system symbol as medical health problem and anatomy symbol with the skeletal bone structure and intervertebral discs closeup as a 3D illustration.

Are you experiencing pain and numbness in the neck? Between each vertebra, lie rubbery cushions called discs. Much like a jelly doughnut, these structures are tougher on the outside and soft & cushy on the inside. Sometimes when persistent pressure is placed on the spine, a herniated disc can develop. This means that some of the interior material has ruptured through its casing. In severe cases, free fragment can ensue – which means that a piece of damaged disc has broken off into the spinal canal.

The harsh hands of time, and general “wear-and-tear” can both lead to disk degeneration. However, this disorder is much more prevalent in the lumbar spine, which suffers from the most distress in daily life – whether it be due to a strenuous occupation, or participation in sports. As we get older, proper hydration within the body is vital for staving off a variety of musculoskeletal disorders. Dehydrated muscles are rigid and prone to tearing, especially among the 30-50 age demographic.

The location of your pain, numbness, or weakness reveals a lot about your possible rupture. Arm and shoulder pain is a telltale sign of a cervical, or neck herniated disc. Turn your neck to the side; do you feel a shooting pain in your shoulder blade? Perhaps, you have suffered from muscle spasms – the tightening & clenching of those sinewy fibers? Frequent headaches & weakness are other possible indicators of ruptured discs.

The only true way to identify your condition is to pay a visit to an orthopaedic specialist. Trained to diagnose and treat a variety of musculoskeletal disorders, the experts at Orthopaedic Associates offer many conservative & surgical methods for remedying this and other ailments.

In an initial visit, your physician will ask you a series of questions about your medical history to retrieve helpful hints about your spine health. When it comes to herniated discs, an MRI is typically the first-line mode of diagnostic. It’s preferred by physicians because it can provide a detailed picture of the affected nerve endings.

When further sleuth work is required to diagnose the source of spinal issues, your physician may recommend a myelography. According to the American Society of Neuroradiology, this method involves injecting contrast dye into the patient’s spinal canal to visualize “fluoroscopic” images of the vertebrae and surrounding areas.

Your orthopaedic doctor may recommend a specific dosage of anti-inflammatory medication (such as an NSAID) – which can alleviate some of the pressure placed on the damaged discs. Don’t underestimate the power of physical therapy. From neck extensions to lateral bends, there are a variety of exercises and stretches you can do to soothe neck pain caused by a bulging or herniated disc. Just be sure to heed the advice of a professional before starting any routine, as doing movements improperly may exacerbate an existing problem.

It’s time to give pain the cold shoulder once and for all. For more information, or to schedule a consultation, call Orthopaedic Associates at 440-892-1440.

When you have pain in your neck or upper back that you’ve never felt before, you might have a herniated cervical disk.

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.

Your spine has three main segments, top to bottom:

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.

Cervical disks cushion the cervical vertebrae. They also connect the vertebrae to each other so you can bend and twist your neck and back.

What Does ‘Herniated’ Mean?

The disks between vertebrae contain a gel-like substance in the center of them. The outer part of a disk is made up of fibrous cartilage that keeps the gel contained.

When the outer part gets tears or splits, the gel can poke out. This is what it means for a disk to become herniated.

A herniated disk is also called a “ruptured disk” or a “slipped disk.” You can think of it like a jelly doughnut whose filling has squirted out.

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

If it presses on your spinal cord, you can have more serious symptoms, including:

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 see your doctor.

How do you fix a bulging disc in your neck?

Physical therapy and exercises can help treat a bulging disc in the neck. This will include a mixture of gentle neck stretches and exercises to strengthen the neck and surrounding muscles. A range of other treatments, such as pain medication and surgery, are also available.

Can a bulging disc in neck heal itself?

Herniated Disk (Slipped, Ruptured or Bulging Disk) A herniated disk is also known as a slipped, ruptured or bulging disk. It's one of the most common causes of neck, back and leg pain. Most of the time, herniated disks heal on their own or with simple home-care measures.

Are bulging discs in neck painful?

A bulging disc in your neck may be relatively painless. Or it can cause severe pain in your neck, as well as your shoulders, chest, and arms. It may also cause numbness or weakness in your arms or fingers. Sometimes, this pain and numbness may even cause you to think that you're having a heart attack.

How do you know if neck pain is muscle or disc?

One key factor to note is how long the pain has lasted. Most neck strains start to feel much better within a few days or a couple of weeks. Underlying cervical spine disorders tend to cause pain that lasts longer than a few weeks, comes and goes, and may gradually become worse.