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One of the most common cervical spine disorders being treated by spine specialists is arm pain caused by a herniated cervical disc or a herniated disc in neck. Most often a herniated disc will affect the age range of thirty - fifty, with the outside possibility of the herniated disc in neck originating from a traumatic injury to the cervical spine. Cervical disc herniation, including the most common symptoms of arm pain, will often start out of the blue with no indication of why it happened.
When material from a cervical herniated disc applies unwanted pressure on a cervical nerve, the results may be pain that radiates along the nerve pathway that follows the length of the arm. Along with pain from the pressure being applied to the cervical nerve there may also be a presence of numbness or tingling sensations along the arm and into the fingertips. The final symptom of a cervical herniated disc is muscle weakness in the affected areas.
Most commonly a cervical herniated disc will occur at the C5 - C6 level (where C stands for Cervical) or the C6 - C7 level. C4 - C5 level is not affected as often but it is still a fairly common area for a herniated disc in neck to occur, whereas a cervical herniated disc is very rarely ever found at the C7 - T1 (thoracic) level.
A herniated cervical disc will affect the nerve root exiting the spine at the level of the herniation. An example would be if there is a herniated cervical disc at C5 - C6 the C6 nerve root is affected.
Cervical herniated disc in neck symptoms
With a cervical herniated disc the pain patterns and neurological-effects are quite predictable dependent on the affected nerve root:
- C5 nerve root (C4 - C5 level herniated disc)
When the C5 nerve root is affected by a cervical herniated disc, often the deltoid muscle in the upper arm is weakened. Pressure on the C5 nerve root will most often not be the cause of numbness or tingling but may cause shoulder pain - C6 nerve root (C5 - C6 level herniated disc)
Pressure on the C6 nerve root may cause weakness in the biceps and wrist extensor muscles. This pressure on the C6 nerve may also cause numbness, tingling, and pain that radiates to the thumb side of the hand - C7 nerve root (C6 - C7 level herniated disc)
Pressure on the C7 nerve root can cause weakness in the triceps of the upper arm, along with muscles in your fingers. Pain can radiate into the middle finger along with numbness and tingling - C8 nerve root (C7 - T1 level herniated disc)
Although this is the most uncommon herniated cervical disc, the effects can be very disabling. Pressure applied to the C8 nerve root can cause weakness in the hands grip along with numbness, tingling and pain radiating down the arm and into the little finger’s side of the hand
The above list is comprised of the most typical pain patterns, but will not always be 100% set in stone. This is because sometimes the human body is not wired the same, making the pain symptoms different in some people.
Between the vertebral bodies of the cervical spine, there is not much disc material, and the discs are usually not large. This means that there is not a lot of space provided for the nerves. Because of this fact, even the smallest cervical herniated disc can put pressure on a nerve and create a large deal of back pain. Arm pain from a cervical herniated disc in neck is most often more severe in the beginning stages as the never becomes pinched. For more information on treatment options, please follow this link: herniated disc treatment