The Common Indicators of Cervical Disc Disease

Cervical disc disease is a common cause of persistent neck pain resulting from years of pressures and stresses on the neck that harm the discs in between your vertebrae. Also, cervical disc disease symptoms might vary greatly from person to person. When cervical disc disease Roswell becomes symptomatic, the discomfort may arise suddenly. The following are some common characteristics of cervical disc disease symptoms:

  1.     Neck pain: The most prevalent indicator of cervical disc disease is low-grade discomfort from a stiff neck. However, the pain can occasionally flare up and become chronic, lasting a few hours or days.
  2.     Neurological symptoms in your hand, arm, and fingers: Tingling, numbness, or weakness might spread from the shoulder into your arm, hand, or fingers. These symptoms might interfere with your normal activities, like typing, dressing, or holding items.
  3.     Nerve pain: This kind of discomfort is usually intense or electric shock-like, and it can spread down the shoulder into your arm, hand, or fingers. Nerve pain is often felt on only one side of your body.
  4.     Pain that worsens with movement: In general, discomfort caused by the degenerative disc tends to be exacerbated by movement and alleviated by rest.

An overview of cervical disc diseases

Cervical disc disease is the main cause of neck discomfort and radiating arm pain. It develops when one or more of the cushioning discs in your cervical spine begins to break down because of wear and tear. A genetic aspect may predispose some individuals to more rapid wear. Also, an injury may accelerate and trigger the development of degenerative changes.

Risk factors for cervical disc disease

While almost everyone suffers from cervical disc disease as they age, various risk factors might cause it to develop sooner or become symptomatic. Some of these risk factors include:

  1.     Genetics: According to certain studies, genetics have a larger impact than lifestyle in determining when and if cervical disc disease occurs and becomes severe.
  2.     Obesity: The chance of having cervical disc disease has been linked to weight.
  3.     Smoking: This practice can prevent nutrients from reaching the discs and cause them to dehydrate faster.

Surgery for cervical disc disease

If surgery is the ideal therapy alternative, there are two primary operations, varying depending on circumstances. Surgery from the front of your neck, called anterior cervical discectomy and fusion, is best for some kinds of protrusions. 

Conversely, surgery from the back of your neck, known as posterior foraminotomy and discectomy, is ideal for other types of disc illness. Also, there may be an alternative for minimally invasive spine surgery.

If your pain is caused by cervical disc disease, it will most likely go away in a few weeks or months. However, other indicators of cervical disc disease are more prone to be severe and necessitate treatment if facet joints in the neck deteriorate or a spinal nerve becomes pinched. You may perform some steps to alleviate the pain and symptoms of cervical disc disease if they worsen.

Self-care and non-surgical therapy alternatives are usually the first steps, and these will usually successfully control the pain. Surgery is typically the final alternative if other therapies don’t relieve indicators. Call Apex Spine and Neurosurgery to schedule your meeting today to find out which cervical disc disease treatments suit you.